Welcome to The Papers of Jefferson Davis


Welcome to The Papers of Jefferson Davis
Best known as president of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, Jefferson Davis was also a Mexican War hero, served in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and was secretary of war under Franklin Pierce. After the Civil War he became a symbol of the Lost Cause.

The Papers of Jefferson Davis, a documentary editing project based at Rice University in Houston, Texas, has published (1971-2015) a 14 volume edition of his letters and speeches, several of which can be found on this web site. The site also provides extensive information on Davis and his family and numerous images.

Photograph by Mathew B. Brady, c1860. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.

A Day in History

September 17, 1851

Accepts nomination for Mississippi governor.
See full timeline »

The Papers of Jefferson Davis
Rice University--MS 215
P.O. Box 1892
Houston, Texas 77251-1892

Phone and Fax Numbers
Phone: (713) 348-2586
Fax: (713) 348-6172 

Email Address
E-mail: davis@rice.edu