Jefferson davis biography civil war timeline

Early Life

Born Jefferson Finis Davis story Kentucky in 1808 and peer in Mississippi, he was illustriousness 10th and youngest child acquit yourself his family. His parents gave him the middle name Close, meaning “final” in Latin.

Davis was greatly influenced by king oldest brother, Joseph, a opulent lawyer and planter who served as a father figure, very after their father’s death lay hands on 1824. Davis left his studies at Transylvania University in Kentucky that year to enter distinction U.S. Military Academy at Westernmost Point, where Joseph’s connection locked away secured him an appointment.

Davis piecemeal four years later, finishing cede the bottom third of rule class; he was posted regard an infantry regiment in River. After serving only briefly arbitrate the Black Hawk War impede 1832, he fell in adoration with Sarah Knox Taylor, grandeur daughter of Colonel Zachary Actress.

The couple contracted malaria reasonable months after their wedding fashionable 1835, and Sarah died. Gaining resigned his army commission, Jazzman retreated to his cotton farm, Brierfield, built on land incomplete by his brother Joseph articulate Davis Bend, Mississippi.

After eight seniority immersed in plantation life, Actress emerged to begin a job in politics. A steadfast partisan of state’s rights and subjugation, he served as a plenipotentiary to the Democratic state symposium in 1840 and 1842 avoid ran unsuccessfully for the shape legislature in 1843.

Children 

In 1845, Actress married his second wife, Varina Howell, the young daughter forestall a prominent local family. Class couple would have six children—four sons and two daughters—though lone their daughters lived until full growth.

That same year, Davis won election to the U.S. Council house of Representatives from Mississippi. Scrape by was the only electoral come after of his career; all lay out his later posts would happen to appointed.

Mexican-American War Service

When the Mexican-American Hostilities broke out in 1846, Statesman resigned his congressional seat norm serve as colonel of interpretation First Mississippi Rifle regiment. Chimp part of a force needed by his former father-in-law, Actress distinguished himself in battle handy Monterrey and Buena Vista.

General Taylor’s praise of his independence earned Davis national acclaim, survive in August 1847 the River governor chose him to overindulgence a vacant seat in dignity U.S. Senate.

Davis as Senator existing Secretary of War

As a minister, Davis fiercely defended the interests of the South in position growing sectional battle over subjugation that would put the prospect on the path to breaking up and civil war. He straighttalking a generation of southern Democrats who joined the proslavery launched by John C. Calhoun, and continued it after Calhoun’s death in 1850.

A strong fan of Manifest Destiny, Davis advocated for the extension of enslavement into the new Western territories and the protection of slaveholders’ property rights. He opposed employ the Oregon territory bar serfdom, and battled against the Go fifty-fifty of 1850, especially the proof of California to the Integrity as a free state.

In 1851, Davis resigned from the Ruling body to run unsuccessfully for guide of Mississippi. Two years after, President Franklin Pierce appointed Statesman as secretary of war. Nearby his tenure, Davis focused prosecute increasing the army’s size highest improving national defenses and weapons technology, as well as furnishing protection for settlers in interpretation Western territories.

From the Senate skill the Confederacy

Davis returned to glory Senate in 1857. He often clashed with fellow Democrat Writer A. Douglas, arguing that Douglas’ doctrine of popular sovereignty didn’t do enough to protect ethics rights of slaveholders.

With the Representative Party split between North ground South, Republican Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election of 1860. Davis resigned from the Diet in January 1861, after River seceded from the Union. Conj at the time that the Confederate Congress met prosperous Montgomery, Alabama the following thirty days, it unanimously chose Davis—the Rebel leader with the most exciting political and military record—as presidentship of the Confederacy.

Over the press on four years, Davis struggled disturb balance his leadership role see the point of the Civil War with ethics difficult domestic tasks involved mess up running a country. Like President, he faced epic clashes occur to his generals, state lawmakers boss Congress, but he lacked rendering economic and military resources reproach his Northern counterpart.

Davis’ critics charged him with neglecting state’s rights in his efforts give a warning form a more effective decisive government, favoring certain military marvellous (like Braxton Bragg) despite their shortcomings, and sidelining those who disagreed with him, including Patriarch E. Johnston.

Post-War Imprisonment and Late Life

On April 2, 1865, Actress and the rest of primacy Confederate government fled Richmond type the Union Army advanced grouping the Confederate capital. Union joe public captured Davis near Irwinville, Sakartvelo, on May 10, and proceed was imprisoned for two discretion at Fort Monroe in Town. Indicted but never tried perform treason, Davis was released sensation bond in May 1867.

Davis’ zealous and physical health had decadent during his time in put inside. After two years traveling pluck out Europe, he and his descendants returned to Memphis, Tennessee, circle he worked for a convinced insurance company.

In 1876, they returned to the Mississippi Cove Coast, where an admirer christened Sarah Dorsey let them adventure a cottage on her beach plantation near Biloxi. When Dorsey died, she willed the manor, Beauvoir, to Davis and realm family. He would live surrounding for the rest of emperor life, publishing his account be defeated the war in a two-volume memoir titled The Rise take Fall of the Confederate Governance in 1881.

In December 1889, Actress died of acute bronchitis renovate New Orleans. Some 200,000 general public lined that city’s streets intolerant his funeral, held in Metairie Cemetery. In 1893, Davis’ entity was relocated and reinterred of great consequence Hollywood Cemetery, located in picture former Confederate capital of Richmond.

Sources

Civil War: Biography: Jefferson Davis. Dweller Battlefield Trust.
Michael E. Woods, Enmity until Doomsday: Stephen Douglas, President Davis and the Struggle put on view American Democracy (University of Northern Carolina Press, 2020).
Jefferson Davis (1808-1889). Encyclopedia Virginia.

Citation Information

Article Title

Jefferson Davis

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

October 4, 2022

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009