Jefferson davis biography summary worksheet

Home / Biography Templates & Examples / Jefferson davis biography summary worksheet

He was sure the citizens of Mississippi would not think he had betrayed their trust by using his influence to overthrow the government. He thought that the states' split was a terrible thing, but not the worst.

  • President Pierce named Davis secretary of war in 1853. During the Mexican-American War, Davis fought in the Battles of Monterrey and Buena Vista, in 1846 and 1847, respectively.

    jefferson davis biography summary worksheet

    While at Rosemont Plantation, he learnt horseback riding, fishing, and farming. Davis left Washington, D.C., for Mississippi in 1818, where he temporarily attended Jefferson College. Davis was imprisoned at Fort Monroe in Virginia from May 22, 1865, to May 13, 1867, before being released on bail paid partly by abolitionist Horace Greeley.

    Later Life, Death and Legacy

    Following his term as president of the Confederacy, Davis traveled overseas on business.

    His father and uncles served as soldiers during the American Revolutionary War, while three of his brothers fought in the War of 1812.

  • At the age of two, they moved to Mississippi, where he spent most of his childhood. His powerful speeches there placed him in high demand. Davis was indicted for treason in 1866 but the next year was released on a bond of $100,000 signed by the American newspaper publisher Horace Greeley and other influential Northerners.

    From 22 May 1865, until 13 May 1867, Davis was detained in Fort Monroe, Virginia. Because his commanding officer, none other than future president Zachary Taylor, was opposed to the marriage, Davis abruptly resigned his military post to take up civic duties prior to the wedding. Then, as afterward, I regarded the separation of the states as a great, though not the greater evil."

    In 1853, Davis was appointed secretary of war by President Pierce.

    From 1828 to 1833, he carried out his first active service with the U.S. Army. One year later, he became an elector for Polk and Dallas, taking the stance of state protection against federal interference and supporting Texas’ annexation in the process.

    In December 1845, Davis won election to the U.S. House of Representatives and claimed a seat in Congress, which caused him to gain more public attention.

    After a protracted legal struggle, Memphis, Tennessee, locals were successful in having a monument of Davis removed from a park in December 2017.

  • A panel was established to provide recommendations on how to effectively portray the actual narrative of the Confederate-era sculptures on Monument Avenue, according to Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, who made the announcement in the summer of 2017. 
  • The group recommended the removal of a 111-year-old bronze monument of Davis in a report issued the following July, but doing so would need taking legal action to amend a state statute. 
  • Other suggestions included establishing a memorial to slaves and to troops of the United States Colored Troops who participated in the Civil War, as well as creating more extensive exhibitions to put the sculptures of Generals Robert Lee and Stonewall Jackson in context.
    • He sustained injuries at the Battle of Buena Vista when he stopped a rush of Mexican swords, an action for which he received much praise.

    He went back to military service and served under General Zachary Taylor. Until 1835, he fought on the frontier against Native American Indian tribes like the Comanche and Pawnees. Two years later, President Franklin Pierce appointed him as U.S. Secretary of War. In 1857, after the defeat of Pierce for re-election, Davis was once again elected to the Senate.

  • With his return to the Senate, Davis remained a supporter and protector of the rights of slave states in the south.

    In the Blackhawk War of 1831, Davis fought alongside his troops and helped them capture Chief Blackhawk. The marriage helped further forge his connection with Mississippi planters, as Varina’s family was of that class.

    As a congressman, Davis was known for his passionate and charismatic speeches, and he quickly became actively involved in debates about Texas, Oregon and tariffs.