Jefferson Davis was an American politician and soldier who served as the President of the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865 during the American Civil War. Born on June 3, 1808, in Kentucky, he was educated at the United States Military Academy at West Point and later served in the Mexican-American War. After the Civil War, Davis was captured and imprisoned for two years. He wrote a memoir titled "The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government," which detailed his experiences. Davis died on December 6, 1889, in New Orleans, Louisiana, leaving a controversial legacy in American history.