Jefferson Davis was a hero of the Mexican War, a Congressman, Senator, and Secretary of War under Franklin Pierce. His father and uncles were Revolutionary War soldiers, and yet he is best known for his leadership of a traitorous government. Davis was born on June 3, 1808.
Like Lincoln, Davis was born in Kentucky of a poor family. After going to several schools, Davis finally gradually from West Point, and was a fellow classmate of Robert E. Lee.
Elected to a Mississippi Congressional seat, Davis resigned at the outbreak of the Mexican War and his acts of bravery at the battles of Monterrey and Buena Vista won him acclaim.
After the War, Davis was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he championed states rights. When Mississippi seceded from the Union, Davis hoped for a high military position. However, he was chosen to lead the revolutionary government. On February 18, 1861, Jeff Davis was inaugurated as President of the Confederacy.
After the Civil War, Davis was imprisoned for two years, then released on bail. The ex-President died in New Orleans on December 5, 1889. The funeral train taking his body to Richmond, Virginia passed a solid line of people along its route, much like Lincoln’s final trip home to Springfield.
When writing your family tree book, adding historical tidbits helps bring your family to life. Knowing what happened at a specific period of time or in a specific place tells you a lot about the life your ancestors were leading – -and the topics they probably talked about around the supper table. Feel free to use this (or any Today in History) post in your family tree book.
Do you need help finding those wonderful historical tidbits that bring ancestral worlds to life? Or, help getting started on your family history book? Click the Book Coaching or Historical Research links at the top of the page to learn more. My rates are affordable and no project is too small :)
