JEFFERSON DAVIS By Nikhilesh Kumar On June 8, 1861, the last state joined the Confederate States of

The southern states although far less populated and without initial means to manufacture war supplies did have the strengths to be very competitive. Strong, experienced Confederate leadership in their practiced military, and the overall will power to protect their way of life would prove to be their greatest assets. Jefferson Davis became the president of the Confederacy and was a model leader. He developed a distinguished political career with many years served in the senate, he was a West Point graduate, the former Secretary of War, and a veteran of the Mexican American War. He was the ideal candidate for a president in war times. He had the advantage of having General Robert E. Lee commanding his army after Joseph Johnston was injured in The Battle of Bull run. Robert E. Lee due to strong respect, character and performance in the Mexican American war was Lincoln’s first choice as the Union general but Lee’s patriotism to his home state

Davis returned to Washington as United States senator and then in 1853 as Secretary of War.8 As a spokesperson for the South, Davis captivated senators both North and South. William Seward, an anti- slavery Northern senator, came to Davis’ bedside every day as Davis nursed a cold and inflammation in his eye.9 Daniel Webster, a leading Whig Politian from Massachusetts, became great friends with Davis after Davis refused to falsify a report when asked to investigate Webster for wrong-doing.10

The Civil War took place from 1861 to 1865. Perhaps the most influential war in American history, the Civil War was fought between the northern states and the southern states of America over slavery. Shortly after Abraham Lincoln was elected as the president on March 4, 1861, South Carolina Seceded from the Union. Other states followed in suit, forming the Confederate States of America with its capital at Montgomery, Alabama, its president Jefferson Davis. As controversy flared higher as a result of this event, the Confederates took Fort Sumter. Soon, the Union joined the war. The northern states were referred to as the Union army, with leaders including Ulysses S. Grant. The Southern states were referred to as the Confederate

The north supported the admission of California as a free state, the Compromise of 1860 stated that "California ought to be admitted into the Union without restrictions as to the inclusion or exclusion of slavery" (Doc.5). The north also had a strong Republican federal government, they were the main support for Abraham Lincoln in the Election of 1860 (Doc 8.). In effect of the election of 1860, the North had control of the House of Representatives, Senate, and Presidency. The south had a democratic government, after the election of 1860 the southerners did not know that a Republican president had won the campain. President Lincoln was not listed on the southerners voting ballots. After the Dred Scott decision and the election of 1860, sectionalism increased in the United States. In December 20, 1860, South Carolina secedes from the Union and four other states follow. By February 1861, these states begin to call themselves the Confederate States of America. They elect their own president named Jefferson Davis. When Lincoln comes to power in March 1861, he states that states can not secede from the Union, but people can. Meaning that people can give up their patriotism, but states can't because the first three words in the Constitution are "We the People". These series of events already created tension between the Union and Confederacy. Then the first battle

All of his achievements include mostly of government type work. He graduated from college and classical studies classes. Also he was in the law department. “In 1859 and engaged in the practice of law; served the Confederacy as receiver of sequestered property.” Some of His major achievements were that he was a senator. Also he served on the court as a member, State Representative in 1880, and was elected as a Democrat to the Senate in 1881. However, he later resigned five years later to accept the job as the sixth circuit judge for the Unites States of

President Jefferson Davis supported the south. He was born on June 3, 1808 in Christian County Kentucky of one of the ten siblings . He had nine siblings. Four brothers named Joseph Emory Davis, Isaac Williams Davis, Benjamin Davis, and Samuel A. Davis. Five sisters named Matilda Davis, Amanda Jane Davis, Anna Elizi Davis, Lucinda Farrar Davis, and Mary Ellen Davis. His father and his uncles fought in the American Revolution War. His three older brothers fought in the War of 1812. Jefferson Davis grew up on plantation near Woodville, Mississippi. Then he went back to Kentucky to go to boarding school. In 1824 Davis was sixteen years old when President James Monroe requested Davis to become a cadet at the United States Military at West Point. In 1828 Davis graduated from West Point twenty third in his class.

The American Civil War began on April 12, 1861 when the Southern United States seceded from the union. The first battle, taking only thirty-four hours, caused Lincoln to officially rally troops against the South. Most Northern Americans would eventually learn to love Lincoln’s courage; however, many Southern Americans would despise Lincoln. Throughout the civil war many lives were lost, and many families were torn apart. Lincoln would remain a strong figure throughout the war. He would give his people hope, he would give his people courage, and he would give his people strength. Around the time the Civil War was drawing to a close, Lincoln was being reelected. The general of the Confederacy, Robert E. Lee, surrendered after a battle in Virginia. His troops surrendered in April, a little over a

In addition to the South having conflicts with state governments, Jefferson Davis poor leadership and his failure to work together with his generals caused the South to lose the Civil War. Davis had two popular generals, Robert E. Lee and Judah P. Benjamin. Benjamin was never allowed to bring his ideas of originality to Davis and was often blamed for measures Davis chose not to explain. Lee never was allowed to command over the other officers. When congress adopted a bill establishing the office of general in chief, intended for Lee, Davis vetoed it. Davis’s well-know feuds with two of the Confederacy’s premier generals, Beauregard and Joseph Johnston, undoubtedly hurt the South’s war effort. Another

Jefferson Finis Davis, an American politician who was U.S. Representative and Senator from Mississippi, U.S.Secretary of War, and the President of the Confederate States of America during the War. On November 6, 1861, Jefferson Davis was elected president, not of the United States of America but of the Confederate States of America. He ran unopposed and was elected to serve for a six-year term. Davis had already been serving as the temporary president for almost a year.He was also appointed US Senator on August

Davis opposed secession for his home state of Mississippi. But Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus and other state leaders were for secession after the election of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln surprisingly won, even though he was not on some ballots. The South did not like him because they thought he was going to abolish slavery. After that he ran for President of the Confederacy. He ran unopposed and was elected for a six year term as President of the Confederate States.

After Abraham Lincoln won the election in 1860, South Carolina decided to secede from the United States. Eventually, six other slave states seceded: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas. These states formed a new government with a different constitution, elected Jefferson Davis as their president, and became known as the "Confederate States of America." These states believed that since they had decided to join the Union, they had the right to secede if they no longer desired to be part of the Union. However, the right of a state to secede from the United States was never listed in the

Senate seat…on December 6, 1847. In that most distinguished Senate… [Davis] was named chair of the Committee on Military Affairs,” (“Jefferson Davis”). Davis’s political prowess before the Confederacy’s formation, gives clearer reasons to his election. However during his time as president, political and military failures made Jefferson Davis an unsuccessful leader of the Confederacy and helped contribute to its defeat.

He was president of the Confederacy for four years out of his six year term. His first major command as president was to bomb Fort Sumter when he saw Union ships coming to supply the fort. This is recognized as the start of the war, so the Civil War was started by Jefferson Davis. When General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant, Davis disagreed. He wanted the war to go on long enough for the Union to get tired of it. We would not want to pay for it any longer, not want any more casualties and eventually surrender. Surprisingly, it was his own star general who

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. 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

He was the 11th president of the United States and was known as “young hickory”, and the first “dark horse”. James Knox Polk accomplished many things in his life. He served in the House of Representative, became governor of Tennessee, and became president of the United States. His achievements impacted the U.S and made it what it is today. For example he annexed Texas, lowered tariffs, established an independent Federal Treasury, went to war with Mexico, and added three states to the union. If James Polk did not become president, then there is a possibility that California, New Mexico and Oregon would not be a part of the United States.