What Are Jefferson Davis Major Accomplishments

“Jefferson Davis, at rest, an American soldier, and defender of the Constitution.” These words appear on the tombstone of Jefferson Davis (“Hollywood”). Many people would be surprised by this fact, as Davis is most widely known as the President of the Confederate States of America, and thus an enemy of the U.S.A. Davis’s accomplishments, however, go far beyond his time as Confederate President. To fully grasp this idea, one must look at his life as a whole, and not just the span of four measly years. Born to Revolutionary War veteran Samuel E. Davis on June 3, 1808, patriotism was always in Jefferson Davis’s blood (Williams 13). At age ten, he was enrolled in a prestigious Catholic school before being moved to a school that was closer to home

There he used his leadership ability to settle conflicts between white settlers and Native Americans. In April 1832, a band of the Sauk Tribe led by Chief Black Hawk disobeyed orders from the U.S. Government to leave their homeland of Illinois, and the Black Hawk War broke out. The war lasted 118 days, but Black Hawk was eventually captured and handed over to Colonel Zachary Taylor (19-20). Taylor assigned Davis to escort the prisoners to St. Louis (20). Along the way, Davis befriended Black Hawk, protecting him from the obnoxious curiosity of passing settlers. Black Hawk later wrote of Davis in his autobiography, saying “We remained here a short time, and then started for Jefferson Barracks, in a steam boat, under the charge of a young war chief, (Lieut. Jefferson Davis) who treated us all with much kindness. He is a good and brave young chief, with whose conduct I was much pleased” (Patterson, 110-12). Davis was good enough to Black Hawk that the chief specifically decided to mention him in the tale of his life. Such an endorsement from the chief of a society based on honor and valor shows how Davis’s intrinsic qualities helped him in his life and on the

He was once again placed under the command of Zachary Taylor, now a major general. The two men were quickly able to put the past behind them, and they developed a strong friendship (Williams 32). Davis and his regiment played a key role in several conflicts of the war. In the first of these conflicts, the group stormed an active fort, dodging bullets to take the outpost and continue fighting in the city streets. In one of the final battles of the war, Davis’s regiment spearheaded the bold charge that won the battle and eventually the war for the Americans. This seemingly minor action had the eventual effect of bringing Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and California into the Union. In this final battle, Davis was shot in the ankle. The injury, however, did nothing to damper the pride Davis felt in his regiment’s accomplishments, and the hero’s welcome he received at home (33). Now Davis had the reputation he needed to truly begin his political career. In August 1847, Davis was elected as a U.S. senator from Mississippi (35). This power allowed him to begin fighting for the issues he cared about, including states’ rights and slavery. His most lasting impact, though, would come in his tireless efforts to build a great capitol for his great