Who was the first and only president of the Confederate States of America?

Jefferson Davis served as the first and only president of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. He was appointed to this position in 1861 when the Confederacy was formed following the secession of several Southern states from the Union. Davis had previously been a U.S. Senator and served as the Secretary of War, which equipped him with a background in governance and military affairs.

During his presidency, Davis faced numerous challenges, including the management of the Confederate economy, military strategy, and the relationship with the individual Confederate states, each of which had their own interests. His leadership was marked by attempts to unify the Confederacy and assert its sovereignty, but he also faced criticism and opposition, particularly due to the difficulties the South experienced during the war, including resource shortages and internal strife.

The other figures listed—Robert E. Lee, Alexander Stephens, and Stonewall Jackson—were significant leaders within the Confederate military and government, but none held the presidential office that Davis did. Lee was the commander of the Confederate Army, Stephens served as Davis’s vice president, and Jackson was a prominent general.