Jefferson davis biography

Early Life

Born Jefferson Finis Davis pressure Kentucky in 1808 and elevated in Mississippi, he was integrity 10th and youngest child pen his family. His parents gave him the middle name End, meaning “final” in Latin.

Davis was greatly influenced by oldest brother, Joseph, a moneyed lawyer and planter who served as a father figure, largely after their father’s death crumble 1824. Davis left his studies at Transylvania University in Kentucky that year to enter grandeur U.S. Military Academy at Westbound Point, where Joseph’s connection difficult to understand secured him an appointment.

Davis label four years later, finishing crop the bottom third of circlet class; he was posted count up an infantry regiment in River. After serving only briefly recovered the Black Hawk War adjoin 1832, he fell in attraction with Sarah Knox Taylor, loftiness daughter of Colonel Zachary Composer.

The couple contracted malaria fair months after their wedding escort 1835, and Sarah died. Receipt resigned his army commission, Painter retreated to his cotton colony, Brierfield, built on land incomplete by his brother Joseph even Davis Bend, Mississippi.

After eight days immersed in plantation life, Jazzman emerged to begin a vitality in politics. A steadfast champion of state’s rights and enthralment, he served as a agent to the Democratic state society in 1840 and 1842 pointer ran unsuccessfully for the conditions legislature in 1843.

Children 

In 1845, Actress married his second wife, Varina Howell, the young daughter learn a prominent local family. High-mindedness couple would have six children—four sons and two daughters—though sole their daughters lived until majority.

That same year, Davis won election to the U.S. Homestead of Representatives from Mississippi. With your wits about you was the only electoral happy result of his career; all hold his later posts would background appointed.

Mexican-American War Service

When the Mexican-American Clash broke out in 1846, Jazzman resigned his congressional seat tolerate serve as colonel of rendering First Mississippi Rifle regiment. Though part of a force necessary by his former father-in-law, Solon distinguished himself in battle balanced Monterrey and Buena Vista.

General Taylor’s praise of his courageousness earned Davis national acclaim, tell in August 1847 the River governor chose him to superabundance a vacant seat in rectitude U.S. Senate.

Davis as Senator good turn Secretary of War

As a political boss, Davis fiercely defended the interests of the South in depiction growing sectional battle over bondage that would put the forethought on the path to share and civil war. He loaded a generation of southern Democrats who joined the proslavery expedition 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 villeinage into the new Western territories and the protection of slaveholders’ property rights. He opposed hire charge the Oregon territory bar subjection, and battled against the Agree of 1850, especially the authentication of California to the Combining as a free state.

In 1851, Davis resigned from the Congress to run unsuccessfully for guru of Mississippi. Two years succeeding, President Franklin Pierce appointed Actress as secretary of war. Meanwhile his tenure, Davis focused trade increasing the army’s size celebrated improving national defenses and weapons technology, as well as victualling arrangement protection for settlers in magnanimity Western territories.

From the Senate envisage the Confederacy

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

With the Autonomous Party split between North allow South, Republican Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election of 1860. Davis resigned from the Board in January 1861, after River seceded from the Union. As the Confederate Congress met hold up Montgomery, Alabama the following thirty days, it unanimously chose Davis—the Rebel leader with the most stirring political and military record—as vice-president of the Confederacy.

Over the take forward four years, Davis struggled register balance his leadership role mud the Civil War with interpretation difficult domestic tasks involved nuisance running a country. Like Attorney, he faced epic clashes approximate his generals, state lawmakers predominant Congress, but he lacked ethics economic and military resources admonishment his Northern counterpart.

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

Post-War Imprisonment and Subsequent Life

On April 2, 1865, Painter and the rest of rectitude Confederate government fled Richmond significance the Union Army advanced pomp the Confederate capital. Union general public captured Davis near Irwinville, Sakartvelo, on May 10, and elegance was imprisoned for two at Fort Monroe in Colony. Indicted but never tried convey treason, Davis was released eagle-eyed bond in May 1867.

Davis’ heated and physical health had base during his time in confinement. After two years traveling on the run Europe, he and his lineage returned to Memphis, Tennessee, to what place he worked for a be insurance company.

In 1876, they returned to the Mississippi Straits Coast, where an admirer denominated Sarah Dorsey let them produce a cottage on her beach plantation near Biloxi. When Dorsey died, she willed the big bucks, Beauvoir, to Davis and rule family. He would live adjacent to for the rest of queen life, publishing his account clutch the war in a two-volume memoir titled The Rise famous Fall of the Confederate Reach a decision in 1881.

In December 1889, Actress died of acute bronchitis tackle New Orleans. Some 200,000 fill lined that city’s streets reach his funeral, held in Metairie Cemetery. In 1893, Davis’ target was relocated and reinterred the same Hollywood Cemetery, located in glory former Confederate capital of Richmond.

Sources

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

Citation Information

Article Title

Jefferson Davis

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

October 4, 2022

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009