Jefferson Davis 1808-1889
President of the Confederate States of America


We feel that our cause is just and holy; we protest solemnly in the face of mankind that we desire peace at any sacrifice save that of honour and independence; we ask no conquest, no aggrandizement, no concession of any kind from the States with which we were lately confederated; all we ask is to be let alone; that those who never held power over us shall not now attempt our subjugation by arms.

'President Jefferson Davis - 29 April 1861'
Confederate President Jefferson Daviis
Click for larger image
DVD
Jefferson Davies DVD Documentary
Jefferson Davis
An American President

One of the most outstanding statesmen of the United States during the first 60 years of the 19th century, he sacrificed everything to defend the South's position regarding the rights of the states and conservative constitutional interpretation. Against staggering odds he led the South and held it together in the bloody Civil War or War Between the States


Jefferson Davis was born on June 3, 1808, in Christian (now Todd) County, Kentucky,Jefferson Davis Confederate President and educated at Transylvania University, Lexington, Kentucky.

Military History

    U.S. Military Academy Graduated 1828.
    Afterwards was in the frountier service.
    Health forced him to resign from the army in 1835
    Fought in the Mexican War at Monterrey and Buena Vista
    Wounded at Buena Vista

Political History

    US senator from Mississippi from 1835 to 1845.
    US Congressman from 1845 to 1846
    US Congressman from 1857 to 1861
    Withdrew from the Senate in 1861 when Mississippi seceded.
    On February 18, 1861, the provisional Congress of the Confederate States made him provisional president .
    He was elected to the office by popular vote the same year for a 6-year term and was inaugurated in Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederacy, on February 22, 1862.

Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis Photographic Print
12 in. x 16 in.
Buy at AllPosters.com
Framed   Mounted
 

Confederate Capital
Confederate Capital Building


During the War

Davis failed to raise sufficient money to fight the American Civil War and could not obtain recognition and help for the Confederacy from foreign governments. He was in constant conflict with extreme exponents of the doctrine of states' rights, and his attempts to have high military officers appointed by the president were opposed by the governors of the states. The judges of state courts constantly interfered in military matters through judicial decisions.

Davis was nevertheless responsible for the raising of the formidable Confederate armies, the notable appointment of General Robert E. Lee as commander of the Army of Virginia, and the encouragement of industrial enterprise throughout the South. His zeal, energy, and faith in the cause of the South were a source of much of the tenacity with which the Confederacy fought the Civil War. Even in 1865 Davis still hoped the South would be able to achieve its independence, but at last he realized defeat was imminent and fled from Richmond.

On May 10, 1865, federal troops captured him at Irwinville, Georgia. From 1865 to 1867 he was imprisoned at Fortress Monroe, Virginia. Davis was indicted for treason in 1866 but the next year was released on a bond of $100,000 signed by the American newspaper publisher Horace Greeley and other influential Northerners. In 1868 the federal government dropped the case against him.


This monument marks the spot where Jefferson Davis was captured in Irwinville, Georgia

From 1870 to 1878 he engaged in a number of unsuccessful business enterprises; and from 1878 until his death in New Orleans, on December 6, 1889, he lived near Biloxi, Mississippi. His grave is in Richmond, Virginia. He wrote The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government (1881).

Kindle Available
Rise and Fall Confederate Government

The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government
Jefferson Davis' point of view is essential to understanding the causes of the Civil War.







The Beginning and the End: The Civil War Story of Federal Surrenders Before Fort Sumter and Confederate Surrenders After Appomatox

Surrenders continued for months after Appomattox. The background of Johnston's surrender in North Carolina, Taylor's in Alabama , Jones's in Florida,  the same day that Davis was captured—and Kirby-Smith's, west of the Mississippi










Kindle Version
Why Confederate Fought


Kindle Available

Why Confederates Fought: Family and Nation in Civil War Virginia

The Southern view of slavery as essential to the Southern economy is reiterated. Slavery was the great Southern irony, viewed as a foundation of white liberty. From that perspective, the Confederate soldier's choice was simply victory or death












Political Culture and Secession in Mississippi: Masculinity, Honor, and the Antiparty Tradition, 1830-60

A rich new perspective on the events leading up to the Civil War and will prove an invaluable tool for understanding the central crisis in American politics.

Jefferson Davis and his cabinet with General Lee in the Council Chamber at Richmond
Jefferson Davis and cabinet General Lee Council Chamber Richmond

jefferson davis children
The Davis Children
Picture taken in Canada after the war
one son died after falling in the Executive Mansion in 1864

The Men of Secession and Civil War, 1859-1861











Slavery, Secession, and Civil War: Views from the UK and Europe, 1856-1865
Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Uniform


Civil War Exhibits
Civil War Timeline
Civil War Women
State Battle Maps
Flags of the Confederacy
Civil War Submarines
Confederate Commanders
Civil War Summary


lee
Robert E Lee CSA
12 inch Action Figure by Dragon
Civil War Replica Musket
Civil War Musket
Wood & Steel Frontier Rifle Designed After The Original Rifle,
This Civil War Musket replica has been designed after the original rifle of its era. Measures approximately 37 inches long. Each is constructed with a solid one-piece wood stock, painted steel barrel and die-cast parts.

Civil War Revolver Pistol
Civil War Model 1851 Naval Pistol
Engraved Silver Tone / Gold Tone Finish and Wooden Grips - Replica of Revolver Used by Both USA / Union and CSA / Confederate Forces
Confederate soldier figure
Infantry Officer, Army of Northern Virginia
12 inch Figure

Civil War Historic 1000-piece Puzzle
The famous faces and fearsome facts of the Civil War are captured in this 1,000-piece cardboard puzzle for Civil War buffs and serious puzzle fans.
Civil War Cannon Collectible
Civil War Cannon
Collectible Models and childrens playsets
Miniature Collectible Civil War Cannon12 pound Civil War field cannon replica weapon collectible is a detailed 1/12th scale military caisson replica weapon collectible as used throughout the Civil War
Childrens Cannon Set. Includes 6 gray cannon with black wheels that measure 4.5 inches long
Civil War Trivia Game
Professor Noggin's Civil War Trivia Game
 
  • The History Card Game Thats Won a Dozen Awards
  • 32 sturdy cards with trivia, true/false and multiple-choice questions
  • Memory retention
  • A teachers favorite
 
Civil War soldier toys 102 pieces
Civil War Soldier 102 Piece Playset
 
  • 25 Union and 25 Confederate Soldier Figures, 18 Horses, 10 Cannon
  • 2 Covered Wagons, 2 Tents, 2 Canoes, 2 Flags, 16 Fences
  • Size: Figures Stand up to 2-1/8 inches tall
  • Scale: 1/32nd, Wagons and Horses slightly smaller
 


Jefferson Davis: Unconquerable Heart Shades of Blue and Gray
Jefferson Davis in a different light - as an American patriot and a human being. In the passions that colour anything dealing with the War of Northern Aggression, it is sometimes difficult to remember that everyone involved had a life before that tragic conflict. I can't help but be grateful for the way in which Mrs. Allen brought that point home in her book. While I will still take issue with many of his wartime decisions, I can't help but be proud that our nation produced a man like Jefferson Davis


No scholar can fail to appreciate Allen's exhaustive research,, nor any layman fail to be amazed at her mass of fact and significant detail

Ricmond Virginia Views
London News 1861

Sources:
"Davis, Jefferson," Microsoft (R) Encarta. Copyright (c) 1994 Microsoft Corporation.
Copyright (c) 1994 Funk & Wagnall's Corporation.
"Davis, Jefferson," Comptons Encylopedia
Library of Congress
London Illustriated News


Search
AmericanCivilWar.com
 
Enter the keywords you are looking for and the site will be searched and all occurrences of your request will be displayed. You can also enter a date format, April 19,1862 or September 1864.
Books
Civil War
Womens Subjects
Young Readers
Military History

DVDs
Confederate Store
Civil War Games
Music CDs
Reenactors