Jefferson Davis (1808–1889) was an American politician and military officer best known as the only president of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War (1861–1865)

. Born in Kentucky and raised in Mississippi, he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1828 and served as an officer in the U.S. Army, including distinguished service in the Mexican-American War (1846–1848)

. Davis was a planter and slaveholder who entered politics as a Democrat, serving as a U.S. Representative and Senator from Mississippi. He was appointed Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce from 1853 to 1857, during which he oversaw important military and infrastructure projects

. He supported the expansion of slavery into new territories and advocated for Southern interests in Congress

. When Mississippi seceded from the Union in 1861, Davis resigned from the Senate and was chosen as president of the Confederacy, leading the Southern states during the Civil War

. Despite his efforts, he was less effective than his Union counterpart, Abraham Lincoln, in managing the war and maintaining public support

. After the Confederacy's defeat, Davis was captured in 1865, imprisoned for two years, and indicted for treason but never tried

. He spent his later years writing memoirs and living in Mississippi and died in New Orleans in 1889

. In summary, Jefferson Davis was a military veteran, U.S. politician, and the sole president of the Confederate States during the American Civil War, remembered for his leadership of the South and his role in the conflict over slavery and secession