Jefferson Davis
| Jefferson Davis | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| President of the Confederate States | |
|
In office February 22, 1862 – May 10, 1865 Provisional: February 18, 1861 – February 22, 1862 |
|
| Vice President | Alexander Stephens |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| 23rd United States Secretary of War | |
|
In office March 7, 1853 – March 4, 1857 |
|
| President | Franklin Pierce |
| Preceded by | Charles Conrad |
| Succeeded by | John Floyd |
|
United States Senator from Mississippi |
|
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In office March 4, 1857 – January 21, 1861 |
|
| Preceded by | Stephen Adams |
| Succeeded by |
Adelbert Ames (Vacant until 1870) |
|
In office August 10, 1847 – September 23, 1851 |
|
| Preceded by | Jesse Speight |
| Succeeded by | John McRae |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's At-large district |
|
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In office December 8, 1845 – June 1, 1846 |
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| Preceded by | Tilghman Tucker |
| Succeeded by | Henry Ellett |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jefferson Finis Davis June 3, 1808 Fairview, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | December 6, 1889 (aged 81) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Resting place |
Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Sarah Knox Taylor (m. 1835; her death 1835) Varina Howell (m. 1845; his death 1889) |
| Alma mater |
Transylvania University United States Military Academy |
| Religion | Episcopalianism |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
United States Army United States Volunteers |
| Years of service | 1825–1835 1846–1847 |
| Rank |
 First Lieutenant Colonel
|
| Unit | First Dragoons |
| Commands | First Mississippi |
| Battles/wars | |
Jefferson Finis Davis (June 3, 1808 – December 6, 1889) was an American politician who was a Democratic U.S. Representative and Senator from Mississippi, the 23rd U.S. Secretary of War, and the President of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. He took personal charge of the Confederate war plans but was unable to find a strategy to defeat the more populous and industrialized Union. His diplomatic efforts failed to gain recognition from any foreign country, and at home, the collapsing Confederate economy forced his government to print more and more paper money to cover the war's expenses, leading to runaway inflation and devaluation of the Confederate dollar.
Davis was born in Kentucky to a moderately prosperous farmer, and grew up on his older brother Joseph's large cotton plantations in Mississippi and Louisiana. Joseph Davis also secured his appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. After graduating, Jefferson Davis served six years as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He fought in the Mexican–American War (1846–1848), as the colonel of a volunteer regiment. He served as the U.S. Secretary of War from 1853 to 1857 under President Franklin Pierce, and as a Democratic U.S. senator from Mississippi. Before the war, he operated a large cotton plantation in Mississippi and owned more than 100 slaves. After the war had ended, he remained a proud apologist for the cause of slavery for which he and the Confederacy had fought. Although Davis argued against secession in 1858, he believed that each state was sovereign and had an unquestionable right to secede from the Union.
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