Presidencies of Lincoln & Jefferson Davis
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This paper will compare and contrast the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis. During the American Civil War, Lincoln served as president of the United States, and Davis served as president of the Southern Confederate States. Over the course of the war, Lincoln proved himself to be the better president. This was not simply because the Union won the war, but also because Lincoln was more capable of leading his government and his people. Davis' failures as a leader were partially due to circumstances beyond his control. For example, the war effort in the South was complicated by economic problems, the lack of support from other nations, and the fact that the North had greater military strength. However, it can also be seen that Davis had weaknesses in his personality as well as in his role as a public figure. Specifically, Davis's pride and arrogance caused him to make many hasty decisions during the course of the war which proved to be detrimental to the Confederacy. These personality traits also prevented Davis from effectively controlling the Confederate Congress and his own administration, as well as the various state governments that made up the South. Jefferson Davis was raised in a wealthy Southern family. Because of his upbringing, Davis was able to receive an excellent military education at the West Point Academy. By contrast, Abraham Lincoln was raised in a poor Illinois family. Unable to afford an education, Lincoln taught himself to be a
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ous that the unexpected nature of war requires a leader who is extremely flexible. Other historians have claimed that Davis's pride was a detrimental factor in the outcome of the war. Davis believed that he alone knew the right way to get things done. When his followers failed to live up to his example, Davis told them "just how they were wrong, and his manner did not inspire them to ask if he might be right" (p. 118). As a leader, Davis demanded a great deal from his followers. In this regard, "his intense loyalty proved to be both a strength and a weakness; he would not countenance criticism of those in whom he believed and was obstinate about his appointees and policies" (Bowen, 1987, p. 105). Because of Davis's attitude, there was not much unity among his followers. Furthermore, because of his pride, Davis felt that he had to control everything that went on in his administration. Civil War historian Burke Davis has noted that Davis found it especially hard to delegate authority "in military affairs, a field in which he felt himself most competent" (Davis, 1985, p. 50). Davis felt that he knew the best way to handle all aspects of military strategy. However, "in the long run his insistence on handling even the smalles
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Approximate Word count = 2423
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)
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