This decision led to the American Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865 and claimed the lives of over 620,000 Americans.
Davis's decision to secede was the culmination of several factors, including:
- The growing tension between the North and South over the issue of slavery.
- The election of Abraham Lincoln, a vocal opponent of slavery, to the presidency in 1860.
- The passage of the Morrill Tariff in 1860, which raised taxes on imported goods and further strained the Southern economy.
- The raid on Harper's Ferry by abolitionist John Brown in 1859, which further inflamed tensions between the North and South.
Davis, who had been a senator from Mississippi before resigning in 1861, was chosen to be the president of the Confederate States of America.
During the war, Davis led the Confederacy's efforts to win independence from the United States, but he was ultimately unsuccessful.
The Confederacy was defeated in 1865, and Davis was captured and imprisoned at Fortress Monroe in Virginia.
He was eventually released in 1867, but he never returned to public life.
Davis's decision to secede from the United States was a historic one that had a profound impact on the course of American history.
The Civil War was a major turning point for the United States, and it led to the abolition of slavery and the reunification of the country.