Character experience, Jefferson Hamilton Davis.

Davis was born on a farm in Christian County, Kentucky, near the border of Todd County. Its birthplace is now Jefferson Davis' Jefferson Davis State Historic Site.

Davis is the last of ten children born to Samuel Emory Davis and his wife Jane. His family has a long history in American history. Davis's grandfather immigrated to the United States from Wales and held public office in Virginia and Maryland. His father and uncle joined the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War, fought Georgian cavalry and served as infantry officers in the siege of Savannah. His brother is also in the army. In the war of 18 12, he had three brothers who fought against the British army. Two of them, under the command of andrew jackson, performed heroically in the battle of New Orleans and were praised by Jackson himself.

When Davis was young, his family moved several times. 18 1 1 moved to St. Mary's parish in Louisiana, 18 12 moved to Wilkinson county, Mississippi. 18 13 Davis began to go to school with his sister Mary in a wooden house a mile away from home. Two years later, Davis enrolled in St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School at St. Ross Abbey, which was run by the Dominicans in Washington County, Kentucky. Davis was the only Protestant student in the school at that time. Davis was transferred to the US 1st Infantry Regiment and stationed at Fort Crawford. His first task is to supervise the logging along the Hongxuesong River to repair and expand the bunker. Later, in the same year, it was reassigned to Fort Winnebago, Wisconsin. 183 1 year, he contracted pneumonia while supervising and managing the local sawmill along the Yellow River and had to return to Crawford Castle.

The following year, Davis was transferred to Galena, Illinois to lead the army to expel the Indians. His first combat mission was during the Black Hawk War, and then he was ordered by Colonel Zachary Taylor to personally escort the Black Hawk to Jefferson Barracks for imprisonment. It is said that Chief Heifalcon likes Davis because he was treated leniently on the way. At the same time, another task is to prevent miners from illegally crossing the border into what is now Iowa. At about this time, Davis fell in love with Sarah Knox Taylor, the daughter of Colonel Taylor 16 years old. Because the woman's father disapproved of this relationship, Davis resigned and married Miss Taylor at her aunt's house near Louisville, Kentucky.

This marriage is short. Both the newlyweds are infected with malaria. Davis's wife died in March this year at her sister's residence in Louisiana. Thanks to his recovery, Davis sailed to Havana, Cuba, and then to new york. 1836, he retired to Breier Field Plantation in Warren County, Mississippi. In the next few years, life was quiet. Davis supervised cotton production in Akara and studied political science. 1843, he decided to apply what he had learned and devote himself to politics. He ran for the Mississippi House of Representatives as a Democrat and debated with his opponent, Sergent Smith Prentiss, on election day. However, Davis's efforts failed, so he was defeated. The following year, he traveled around Mississippi and campaigned for james polk and George M. george dallas in the US presidential election of 1844.

1844, Davis achieved political success for the first time and was elected as a US Congressman. He took office on March 4 of the following year.

1845 On February 26th, he remarried the famous woman Varina Howell. 1846, the us-Mexico war broke out. Davis agreed with the war and understood that the United States had the opportunity to acquire a large area of land south of the Missouri compromise line. In June of that year, he resigned as a member of parliament, organized a military volunteer group-Mississippi Rifleman-to be a colonel himself, and left New Orleans for the Texas coast on June 2 1.

In September of the same year, he participated in the successful encirclement and suppression of Monterrey, Mexico. 1February 22, 847, shot in the leg in the battle of Buena Vista. It is said that the combat commander General Zan Trill Taylor praised his courage and initiative and said,' Sir, my daughter's judgment is better than mine.'

President james knox polk later appointed him brigadier general and army general to command the militia brigade, but he was rejected. Davis believes that according to the US Constitution, the personnel right to appoint officers belongs to the states, not the president.

In recognition of his outstanding military contributions, the Governor of Mississippi appointed Davis to replace Jesse speight in the United States Senate. The Smithsonian Institution appointed him as its director at the end of February. The Senate appointed Davis as chairman of the military commission. After the expiration of his term of office, he was elected back to the same position by the Mississippi legislature according to the then constitutional provisions. Less than a year later, 185 1 in September, he resigned because he opposed the 1850 agreement and participated in the Mississippi governor election. Davis lost to henry stuart Ford by 999 votes and didn't win the political bet.

After leaving public office, Davis continued to engage in political activities. 1852, 1 In June, he attended the state rights conference held in Jackson, Mississippi. 1852 The US presidential election began in several states, and he campaigned for Democratic candidates franklin pierce and william king in several southern states.

After Pierce won the election, he appointed Davis as Secretary of War. During his tenure, Davis submitted four annual reports to Congress (submitted every year1February) and a detailed report on the proposal of the Trans-American Railway (submitted on February 22, 855). Pierce was not nominated by the Democratic Party when the term of office of 1857 was about to expire. Instead, the Democratic Party nominated james buchanan. Davis's position advanced and retreated with Pierce's term of office, so he turned to the Senate election and won the election on March 4 1857.

His new term as a senator was interrupted by a serious illness, which almost took away his left eye. Nominal Senator Davis spent the summer in Portland, Maine. On July 4th of that year, he gave a speech against separatists on a ship moored near Boston, Massachusetts. Then on June 65438+1October 1 1, he urged the preservation of the Union in faneuil Hall and returned to the Senate soon.

1February 2, 860, the noise of secessionists in the south was deafening. Davis put forward six solutions, unified the relevant opinions on safeguarding state rights and stabilized his position on controversial issues. 165438+ 10 In October, abraham lincoln, who opposed slavery, won the presidential election and South Carolina declared its secession.

Although Davis opposed separatism in policy, he gave substantial support to18611. On June 65438+1October 2 1 day, Davis announced that Mississippi had seceded from the union and resigned as a senator after giving a farewell speech.