Difference between revisions of "Jefferson Davis"
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|birth_place=Christian County, Kentucky | |birth_place=Christian County, Kentucky | ||
|death_date=December 6, 1889 (aged 81) | |death_date=December 6, 1889 (aged 81) | ||
| − | |death_place=New Orleans, Louisiana | + | |death_place=New Orleans, Louisiana |
|spouse=Sarah Knox Taylor | |spouse=Sarah Knox Taylor | ||
|spouse2=Varina Howell | |spouse2=Varina Howell | ||
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Davis was born in [[Kentucky]] on or around June 3, 1808 (actual date not certain) into a military family, his father having served in the Revolutionary War. In 1835 he married Sarah Knox Taylor, the daughter of President [[Zachary Taylor]]. Sarah died of malaria three months after their wedding. He married Varina Howell in 1845; they had six children, three of whom reach adulthood. He was appointed to the United States Military Academy. He served in the military from 1831 until 1835 when he resigned and settled in Vicksburg, Mississippi. | Davis was born in [[Kentucky]] on or around June 3, 1808 (actual date not certain) into a military family, his father having served in the Revolutionary War. In 1835 he married Sarah Knox Taylor, the daughter of President [[Zachary Taylor]]. Sarah died of malaria three months after their wedding. He married Varina Howell in 1845; they had six children, three of whom reach adulthood. He was appointed to the United States Military Academy. He served in the military from 1831 until 1835 when he resigned and settled in Vicksburg, Mississippi. | ||
| − | Jefferson Davis is best known as the only president of the | + | Jefferson Davis is best known as the only president of the Confederate States of America. Davis did not get involved in politics until 1843 at the age of 35. He was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1845 and resigned in 1846 to re-enter the army during the Mexican War. He continued in this service until 1847 when he was appointed by the governor of Mississippi to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. From February 1864 till the war was over in 1865, Jefferson and Varina adopted Jim Limber, a biracial boy.<ref>http://www.firstwhitehouse.org/did-jefferson-davis-adopt-jim-limber-black-orphan-boy/</ref><ref>https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Limber_Jim</ref> |
| − | After the Confederate defeat Davis was stripped of his US citizenship, which was posthumously restored by [[Jimmy | + | After the Confederate defeat Davis was stripped of his US citizenship, which was posthumously restored by President [[Jimmy Carter]] in 1978.<ref>[https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29993]</ref> |
| + | |||
| + | == Legacy == | ||
| + | His reputation has been mostly negative, he was called a weak leader and caused the downfall of the Confederacy compared to the Union having skilled generals such as [[Ulysses S. Grant]] and [[William T. Sherman]]. | ||
==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
| − | *[ | + | *[https://www.gutenberg.org/etext/19831 ''The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government'', by Jefferson Davis; ebook downloadable from Project Gutenburg] |
| + | |||
| + | ==References== | ||
| + | {{Reflist}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | == External links == | ||
| + | * [https://librivox.org/author/6019 Works by Jefferson Davis - text and free audio] - [[LibriVox]] | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Jefferson}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Jefferson}} | ||
| + | [[Category:Democrats]] | ||
[[Category:American Civil War]] | [[Category:American Civil War]] | ||
[[Category:The South]] | [[Category:The South]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Slavery]] | ||
Latest revision as of 09:38, December 10, 2020
| Jefferson Davis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Term of office February 18, 1861 - May 5, 1865 | |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Vice President | Alexander Stephens (1861-1865) |
| Preceded by | none; appointed to office by secessionist legislature |
| Succeeded by | none; office abolished with end of the Confederacy |
| Born | June 3, 1808 Christian County, Kentucky |
| Died | December 6, 1889 (aged 81) New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Spouse | Sarah Knox Taylor Varina Howell |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
Jefferson Davis was an American and Confederate politician, best known for being the first (and only) president of the breakaway Confederate States of America.
Davis was born in Kentucky on or around June 3, 1808 (actual date not certain) into a military family, his father having served in the Revolutionary War. In 1835 he married Sarah Knox Taylor, the daughter of President Zachary Taylor. Sarah died of malaria three months after their wedding. He married Varina Howell in 1845; they had six children, three of whom reach adulthood. He was appointed to the United States Military Academy. He served in the military from 1831 until 1835 when he resigned and settled in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Jefferson Davis is best known as the only president of the Confederate States of America. Davis did not get involved in politics until 1843 at the age of 35. He was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1845 and resigned in 1846 to re-enter the army during the Mexican War. He continued in this service until 1847 when he was appointed by the governor of Mississippi to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. From February 1864 till the war was over in 1865, Jefferson and Varina adopted Jim Limber, a biracial boy.[1][2]
After the Confederate defeat Davis was stripped of his US citizenship, which was posthumously restored by President Jimmy Carter in 1978.[3]
Legacy
His reputation has been mostly negative, he was called a weak leader and caused the downfall of the Confederacy compared to the Union having skilled generals such as Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman.