Jefferson Davis

Date of Birth: June 3, 1808

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Date of Death: December 6, 1889

Biography

Jefferson Davis was an American politician who served as the President of the Confederate States of America during the entirety of its existence from 1861 to 1865. Born in Kentucky and raised in Mississippi, Davis was educated at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served in the Mexican-American War and later became a U.S. Senator and Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce. As a staunch supporter of states’ rights and slavery, Davis was chosen to lead the Confederacy, a role that put him in direct opposition to President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. Following the Confederacy’s defeat, he was captured, imprisoned, and charged with treason, though he was never tried. After his release, Davis wrote his memoirs and lived out his final years in relative obscurity.

5 Interesting Facts about Jefferson Davis

1. Jefferson Davis was the only President of the Confederate States of America.

2. He was a West Point graduate and served as a colonel in the Mexican-American War.

3. Davis was married twice; his first wife, Sarah Knox Taylor, died of malaria just three months after their wedding.

4. After the Civil War, he was captured and imprisoned for two years at Fort Monroe in Virginia.

5. Davis later became president of an insurance company and wrote his memoirs, “The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government.”

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Jefferson Davis

1. “All we ask is to be let alone.”

2. “The principle for which we contend is bound to reassert itself, though it may be at another time and in another form.”

3. “Never be haughty to the humble or humble to the haughty.”

4. “The contest is not over, the strife is not ended. It has only entered upon a new and enlarged arena.”

5. “Truth crushed to the earth is truth still and like a seed will rise again.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Jefferson Davis did not amass significant wealth; his highest net worth is unknown but was modest, especially after the Civil War.

Children

Jefferson Davis and his second wife, Varina Howell Davis, had six children: 1. Samuel Emory Davis (1852–1854) 2. Margaret Howell Davis Hayes (1855–1909) 3. Jefferson Davis Jr. (1857–1878) 4. Joseph Evan Davis (1859–1864) 5. William Howell Davis (1861–1872) 6. Varina Anne Davis (1864–1898)