United States
On February 9, 1861, Jefferson Davis was chosen as the provisional President of the Confederate States by the Confederate Congress in Montgomery. His election gave formal leadership to the secessionist movement and centralized governance for the Confederacy. Davis had earlier served as U.S. Secretary of War and was considered experienced in military and administrative affairs. His presidency would last through the war until the Confederacy’s defeat in 1865. The selection underscored the Confederacy’s attempt to legitimize itself as a separate nation.
