Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Davis (1808-1889) was a planter, soldier, and politician from Mississippi, who served as the first and only president of the Confederate States during the American Civil War (1861-1865). A veteran of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), Davis was elected Confederate president in 1861 because of his fervent defense of the American South and the institution of slavery during his years in Congress. Despite initial popularity, he was soon criticized throughout the Confederacy for his handling of the war and would eventually be blamed for its defeat. After the war, he was imprisoned in Fort Monroe, Virginia, for two years before living out the rest of his life in retirement.