Jefferson Davis: An American President

efferson Davis is perhaps the most misunderstood and maligned figure in United States history. One of the most outstanding statesmen of the United States during the first 60 years of the 19th century, he sacrificed everything to defend the South's position regarding the rights of the states and conservative constitutional interpretation. Against staggering odds he led the South and held it together in the bloody Civil War or War Between the States Over 620,000 Americans died in this tragic war, sometimes called a second American Revolution. The history of this period has been written mainly by the victor; however, historians are revisiting Davis and his legacy. A West Point graduate, a hero of the Mexican War, United States Senator, outstanding Secretary of War under Franklin Pierce and the only President of the Confederate States of America. Among his many contributions to this country, he is largely responsible for the Smithsonian Institution, and the way the National Capitol looks today . Unparalleled interviews with top Davis scholars Never before seen footage from Davis' boyhood home to the actual place of his capture An all access pass to the United States Capitol, both Confederate White Houses, the West Point art collection, and many more institutions and private homes Read more