After graduating from Dickinson College, Buchanan moved to Lancaster to pursue his career. He was uncertain what career path he wanted to follow at first, but soon decided to pursue becoming a lawyer. Lancaster was a bustling city, the state capital at the time, and it offered much more career advancement than Mercersburg. Even though he did not return to Mercersburg, Buchanan still held his home town close to his heart. In Lancaster, he was a successful lawyer for a few years, but then soon moved into government (
http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/buchanan/essays/biography/1).
