Jefferson Davis Was Not a Secessionist Leader

Jefferson Davis was a reluctant participant in the secession movement and only took on the role of President out of a sense of duty to his home state of Mississippi. While many people believe that Jefferson Davis was a secessionist leader, this is not the case. It is important to understand that Davis did not actively seek to secede from the Union. In fact, he was initially against the idea of secession and only reluctantly accepted the position of President of the Confederate States of America. Many years before the war, Jefferson Davis spoke at the Democratic Convention in Boston against secession. He believed it would be better for everyone if the country stayed together. That there should be another way to work out differences on the topics of trade and slavery.  While Davis believed in states' rights he saw secession as a last resort, not a first choice. This is a key distinction that is often overlooked when discussing Davis and his role in the Civil War.

Notable Northerners Posted Jefferson Davis’s Bail

During the aftermath of the Civil War, Jefferson Davis was arrested and charged with treason while he awaited trial. In 1869, he was released on bail and his case was eventually dropped in 1876. It was a group of Northerners, including Horace Greeley, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Gerrit Smith, who came together to post Davis's $100,000 bail (Over $2 Million in today’s money) These individuals were known for their anti-slavery beliefs and were vocal opponents of the Confederacy. However, these men also knew Jefferson Davis and knew that while he had slaves, he treated them well, had them educated, and their families were able to live together on the plantation. Horace Greeley, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Gerrit Smith believed that Jefferson Davis was a man who had been wrongly accused. And, in fact, the charges for treason were later dropped. Jefferson was never tried.

Jefferson Davis’s Citizenship Wasn’t Restored Until 1978

The post-Civil War amnesty bill that restored citizenship to other Confederate leaders specifically excluded Jefferson Davis and Robert E Lee. That was fine with Jefferson Davis. As a West Point graduate, former Congressman and Senator, and former Secretary of Was Davis understood the constitution. He knew that the state’s rights allowed for succession. He said, “It has been said that I should apply to the United States for a pardon. But repentance must precede the right of pardon, and I have not repented,” Davis told the Mississippi Legislature in 1884, before adding, “If it were all to do over again, I would again do just as I did in 1861.”

Fast forward to the 1960s, when Jefferson’s granddaughter, Lucy White Hayes Young, told her grandson, Howard Edward Haller, stories about Jefferson Davis and how his citizenship was taken away. In 1964, Howard's  “Granny” asked him to make a promise to pursue restoring Jefferson Davis’s citizenship. She added, “As long as you never admit that he ever did anything wrong.” And so began a 13 year long journey until October 17, 1978 when after passing his bill through the House and the Senate, Howard Haller had the privilege honor of having President Jimmy Carter sign his bill.