Jefferson Finis Davis, a controversial figure forever entwined with the American Civil War, was born on June 3rd, 1808 in Christian County, Kentucky, USA. The tenth and youngest child of a Revolutionary War soldier, Davis received a strong education, attending prestigious institutions like Transylvania University and West Point. He entered politics, serving in both the House of Representatives and the Senate for the state of Mississippi. A strong supporter of states’ rights and the expansion of slavery, Davis became a leading figure in the Southern secessionist movement. In 1861, he was elected the first and only president of the Confederate States of America, a breakaway nation formed by Southern states.
