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Jefferson Davis, 1808-1889
Destined to become the Confederacy's only president, Jefferson Davis entered politics in 1845 when Mississippians elected him to Congress. After relinquishing his seat to fight in the Mexican War, Davis resumed his public career with service in the U.S. Senate (1847-51; 1857-61) and as Franklin Peirce's secretary of war (1853-57). A champion of southern rights and an outspoken protector of slavery, he nonetheless wished to avoid the breakup of the Union. Davis supported attempts to forestall secession after Lincoln's election, but abandoned the effort when Mississippi seceded. He reluctantly accepted the Confederate presidency, having hoped for a command in the rebel army instead.
Unidentified daguerreotypist, c. 1858 |