Why did Davis support slavery?

Davis believed in paternalism, which was the belief that European-Americans had the spiritual and moral responsibility to serve a parental role to slaves and thus viewed slavery as a positive aspect of American culture.

What did Jefferson Davis believe in?

Jefferson Davis led a secluded life for the next eight years on his cotton plantation at Davis Bend, Mississippi. A slaveholder, Davis firmly believed in the importance of the institution of slavery for the South.

What did Jefferson Davis say about slavery in his inaugural address?

In February of 1861, just two months before the official start of the Civil War, Jefferson Davis delivered his inaugural address to the Confederacy as its new leader. Davis argued that the North oppressed the South through its disapproval of slavery, a practice vital to its economy and culture.

How was Jefferson Davis punished?

He was charged with treason after the Civil War, and his defense team claimed that the 14th Amendment already punished Davis by preventing him from holding public office in the future and that further prosecution and punishment would violate the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment.

What did Jefferson Davis think caused civil war?

Davis as Senator and Secretary of War As a senator, Davis fiercely defended the interests of the South in the growing sectional battle over slavery that would put the nation on the path to civil war.

What was Jefferson Davis known for?

Jefferson Davis was president of the Confederate States of America throughout its existence during the American Civil War (1861–65). Prior to that, Davis served in the army and represented Mississippi in the U.S. House of Representatives (1845–46) and the Senate (1847–51 and 1857–61).

What reasoning did Jefferson Davis use to justify secession of the southern states?

The Confederacy, according to Davis, was all about constitutional government, supremacy of law, and the natural rights of man. Most significantly, he argued that the Confederacy was not about slavery.

What did Jefferson Davis believe when he became president of the Confederacy?

Although Davis argued against secession in 1858, he believed states had an unquestionable right to leave the Union. Davis married Sarah Knox Taylor, daughter of general and future President Zachary Taylor, in 1835, when he was 27 years old.

What did Jefferson Davis do for slaves?

Emancipation — As Southern losses in the Civil War mounted, Davis proposed emancipating slaves in late 1864 and early 1865 — with a catch. He offered a widely criticized plan to grant freedom to any slave willing to fight for the Confederacy.