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Today in History: Jefferson Davis named provisional president of Confederacy

2/9/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On February 9, 1861, Jefferson Davis was appointed the provisional president of the Confederate States of America, a breakaway republic formed by eleven Southern states that seceded from the Union. Davis, previously a U.S. senator and secretary of war, led the Confederacy during the American Civil War until its collapse in 1865.

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Story summary

On February 9, 1861, Jefferson Davis was appointed the provisional president of the Confederate States of America, a breakaway republic formed by eleven Southern states that seceded from the Union. Davis, previously a U.S. senator and secretary of war, led the Confederacy during the American Civil War until its collapse in 1865.