He was one of the most embattled heads of state in American history. Charged with building a new nation while waging a war for its very independence; he accepted his responsibilities reluctantly but carried them out with a fierce dedication to his ideals. Those efforts ultimately foundered on the shoals of Confederate defeat; leaving Davis stranded in public memory as both valiant leader and desolate loser.Now two renowned Civil War historians; Herman Hattaway and Richard Beringer; take a new and closer look at Davis's presidency. In the process; they provide a clearer image of his leadership and ability to handle domestic; diplomatic; and military matters under the most trying circumstances-without the considerable industrial and population resources of the North and without the formal recognition of other nations.Hattaway and Beringer examine Davis's strengths and weaknesses as president in light of both traditional evidence and current theories of presidential leadership. They show us a man so respected that northern colleagues regretted his departure from the U.S. Senate; but so bent on Southern independence he was willing to impose unthinkable burdens on his citizens-an apologist for slavery who was committed to state rights; even while growing nationalism in his new country called for a stronger central government.In assessing Davis's actual administration of the Confederate state; the authors analyze the Confederate government's constitution; institutions; infrastructure; and cabinet-level administrators. They also integrate events of Davis's presidency with the ongoing war as it encroached upon the South; offering a panoramic view of military strategy as seen from the president's office. They tell how Davis reacted to the outcomes of key battles and campaigns in order to assess his leadership abilities; his relations with civilian and military authorities; and—his own personal competency notwithstanding—his poor judgment in selecting generals.Rich in detail and exhilaratingly told with generous selections from Davis's own letters and speeches; Hattaway and Beringer provide the most insightful account available of the first and only Confederate presidency-suggesting that perhaps it was the Confederate government; rather than Davis himself; that failed. More than that; it shows us Jefferson Davis as an American leader and offers a new appreciation of his place in our country's history.
#1185185 in Books University Press of Kansas 1994-02-26Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x .56 x 5.98l; .76 #File Name: 0700606572244 pagesGreat product!
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Nabobs and OthersBy Cabin DwellerThere are 55 signers of the Constitution. M. E. Bradford moves down the map; starting with 2 from New Hampshire and ending with 4 nearly anonymous signers who get very quick coverage from Georgia. In the middle; Alexander Hamilton; Benjamin Franklin; and George Washington get more coverage with James Madison; who gets the most. A nod to Roger Sherman from Connecticut; who gets more coverage than would be expected. Pennsylvania had the most signers; 8; and Virginia had 7. These were just 12 states.Rufus King of Massachusetts: "The great body of the people are without virtue; and not governed by any restraints of conscience". Bradford adds; "To him equality meant the 'unnatural genius' of his age; 'the arch enemy of the moral world' whose disposition is to degrade what is worthy; not to raise what is low. To argue conversely was to advocate 'principles that do not exist'." Perhaps not new; this anticipates Churchill when he said the greatest argument against democratic government is a 5 minute conversation with the average voter.Hugh Williamson of North Carolina is very flatteringly a Renaissance man among these men. Most of the northerners are slaveholders. None of the southerners would dare touch slavery; mostly because they didn't disagree with it; unless Jefferson's contradictions and Washington's will are taken into account. The word "nabob" is introduced in the Deep South; and once mentioned Bradford keeps using it.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Very Interesting Brief Introduction To The Defining Event Of The History Of The Western HemisphereBy the1911patriotI purchased this book to get an overview of all of the U.S. Constitution's authors in one small book. I enjoyed this book and thought that it gave a reasonably fairly balanced perspective of the many personalities and political philosophies contending against each other during the debate. I have read about 20 books about the American Revolution and the men who participated in it; I can say that this is a must read book for anyone studying the defining event in the history of the Western hemisphere. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in their American heritage. I would recommend this book to my family and friends; but most of them are too lazy to read it!18 of 19 people found the following review helpful. The Founding Fathers: Framers of the ConstitutionBy R. Setliff~Founding Fathers: Brief Lives of the Framers of the United States Constitution~ is a perennial classic and an excellent introduction to understanding the history of the early Republic and the men who framed the Constitution. The founding fathers featured herein; that is the framers of the 1787 Constitution; came from all walks of life. "One was a shoemaker; surveyor; lawyer; jurist; lay theologian; and statesmen. Two became president; one vice-president. Over half were experienced in the legal profession. The majority were well off and; for their time; well educated." They came together in Philadelphia and produced the most profound document in the history of the United States.M.E. Bradford amplifies the length and scope of content of each mini-biography based in proportion to the respective founding father's contribution and influence. Some biographies are obviously limited in scope due to lack of available materials. The brevity of this book does not hamper its quality; as it is an excellent starting point for researching the founding fathers and the ones who are lesser known today; but monumental in their influence during the time such as Deleware statesmen John Dickinson; New Hampshires' John Langdon; New York's Gouverneur Morris and Virginia's George Wythe. The objectivity is to be commended; and Bradford gives the reader a good feel for the positions of each of the men and usually explains whether they were centralizing nationalists; moderate Federalists; or decentralizing Anti-Federalists. Each biography is annotated with a bibliographical list of source materials; which may be useful for probing deeper into each founding father's background. This book is well-written and offers great capsule biographies of the most influential men who helped frame the Constitution and shape it in the course of debates.As for the other reviewer grumbling about Mel Bradford's making the American founding to be based on Christianity; I do not know where he gets that from. I think his criticism is unwarranted and I would point out that there is a flip side to the erroneousness of portraying ALL the founding fathers as devout Christians; which is his erroneous statement that "most were deists and freemasons." It is not however erroneous to say most were Christians; however popular the token deists among them were. Bradford did little more than sketch backgrounds on the founders; it just happens that Madison studied at seminary; Hamilton founded the short-lived Christian Constitutional Society; William Few was a devout Methodist; etc. That a few founders were deists; Jefferson foremost; possibly Franklin does not make the founders all secularists. Consider that the vitality of the Christian religion to the founding father's times compelled even the deist politicians to generally speak in Christian platitudes; and embrace public prayer. They typically speak in the rhetoric of Christian moralism; hence Jefferson's insistence on his being a "true Christian" and his extol of the morality of Christ. Franklin was no different. In the end; I am not a discerner of hearts; but I do know a great many of the founders made bold affirmations of their Christian faith.
