ere fighting for an important cause. However, Davis and Lincoln held different ideological beliefs which put them at odds with one another. Whereas Davis believed in the importance of individual state rights, Lincoln believed that the national government should have power over the states. The two men also held contrasting beliefs on the issue of slavery. Whereas Davis felt that slavery was an important institution for maintaining the economy of the South, Lincoln felt that slavery was a violation of human rights and that it should be abolished under all circumstances.
In the fall of 1860, Lincoln was elected as President of the United States. A few months later, Davis was elected as President of the Confederate States. At that time, the Confederate States were in the process of seceding from the Union. It soon became obvious that the North and the South would have to go to war in order to settle their differences. Because of the war, both Davis and Lincoln were able to obtain a great deal of presidential power. However, as noted by the historian John Bowen, "Davis was less successful than Lincoln in using it" (Bowen, 1987, p. 108). Bowen also points out that Davis's difficulties were partly due to the problems of the South itself. Thus: "Davis was unable to negotiate a workable alliance between the conflicting ideologies in the South. Maybe no one could" (p. 108). Whereas the South fought for individual state rights, a strong centralized government was needed during the war effort. It was ironic that Davis, "fighting against strong centralized government . . . had to create such a government in order to win" (Catton, 1985, p. 203). This clash between ideology and wartime reality caused the various Southern states to be in conflict with one another throughout the course of the war. As a result, the Confederacy was not united in its effort to win the war. The issue of slavery also proved to be a detriment to the Sout...