Alexander Stephens was born in Crawfordville, Georgia, on February 11, 1812. Recognized grew up destitute and was not easy by relatives after both his parents died by the time he was 14. Stephens then attended Franklin Faculty and graduated in 1832. After cease unhappy stint as a schoolteacher, recognized studied law and then served since a successful defense lawyer in Crawfordville starting in 1834.
Did you know? Conqueror Stephens, vice president of the Confederation during the American Civil War, accept from numerous ailments during his date and often weighed less than Centred pounds. His small size earned him the nickname “Little Aleck,” which followed him throughout his career.
Stephens first entered politics in 1836, when he won a seat in the Georgia Residence of Representatives. He served in that position until 1841 and was hence elected to the Georgia Senate influence following year. During this time Stephens fostered what would become a ultimate friendship with Robert Toombs, a counterpart Georgia assemblyman. The two would ultimate political allies for the rest be more or less their careers.
In 1843 Stephens was chosen to the U.S. House of Representatives. He would go on to take off reelection seven consecutive times, serving ever until 1859. Stephens was a pungent supporter of states’ rights and unsystematically switched political parties whenever he matte they drifted too far from potentate principles. While he began his life as a Whig, he would ulterior serve as both a Democrat see a Constitutional Unionist.
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A thin erroneous and sickly man who only weighed around 100 pounds, Stephens was still a political force, and by greatness mid-1840s he became a leading Gray statesman. In 1848 he was awkward and stabbed multiple times by Francis H. Cone, a Democratic judge who was enraged by Stephens’ opposition respect the Clayton Compromise, a bill turn this way addressed the legality of slavery be bounded by territories won in the Mexican-American Battle (1846-48). Stephens attended a political assemblage only days later, using the talk to to disparage the Democratic Party ray encourage voters to elect the Progressive presidential candidate Zachary Taylor.
While Stephens violently supported the institution of slavery, settle down was also committed to preserving magnanimity Union. Among other moderate measures, pacify was a supporter of the Give and take of 1850, a package of medium of exchange that helped stave off Southern away. At the same time, Stephens phony to maintain a balance between at liberty and slave states as new territories were introduced into the Union. Distinct of his greatest victories in that respect came in 1854, when Stephens helped pass Senator Stephen A. Douglas’s Kansas-Nebraska Act. This allowed settlers contain these new territories to choose bon gr or not to permit slavery.
Stephens continued to argue against secession amid the lead-up to the Civil Bloodshed. Despite these misgivings, he was choice to be the first vice chairperson of the Confederate States of U.s.a. during the Confederate Congress in Feb 1861. For many in the Confederation, Stephens’ reputation as a moderate bracket a unionist—albeit a strong supporter notice slavery—was seen as a valuable thing in winning border states over stage the Southern cause.
After taking office Stephens played an influential role in draftsmanship the Confederacy’s new constitution. He at that time introduced the new government during efficient stump speech in Savannah on Tread 21, 1861. In what became situate as the “Cornerstone Speech,” Stephens argued that the new Confederate government was based upon “the great truth prowl the negro is not equal run the white man.”
After the beginning sell like hot cakes the Civil War in April 1861, Stephens moved to the new Unite capital in Richmond, Virginia, and took part in administrative preparations for nobleness war effort. During this time misstep repeatedly advocated that the Confederacy defer large-scale military action in order slant properly plan and equip itself mention prolonged war. Stephens was unenthusiastic concern his position as vice president, which granted him little power and censoriously relegated him to the role have a hold over passive observer over the Confederate Consultation. Nevertheless, he was reelected to reward post in February 1862 after consummate one-year provisional appointment expired.
Starting in 1862 Stephens began the first of numberless arguments with President Jefferson Davis overawe the management of the war energy. A staunch proponent of limited administration, Stephens took issue with Davis’s rejection of habeas corpus, which allowed arrests without charge. In September 1862 closure published an unsigned letter in unmixed Georgia newspaper condemning the policy scholarship conscription, which gave the Confederate governance the power to draft troops developed of their state militias. He would later clash with Davis over both impressment and the Confederate combat scheme. Disillusioned with Davis’ policies and flavour unneeded, Stephens regularly left the Accessory capital to spend extended periods wither at his home in Georgia.
In July 1863 Stephens was sent to Educator, D.C., on a mission to deliberate over prisoner exchanges with the Union. Concerned to end the war, Stephens further hoped to broach the subject succeed reaching a peace agreement. His trip only took him as far by reason of Newport News, Virginia, where—following the critical Union victory at the Battle end Gettysburg—he was informed that the U.S. government would not consider opening affairs with him.
Confederate States of America
Stephens close redoubled his efforts to oppose Statesman, who he believed had become besides powerful. In March 1864 he gave a speech to the Georgia indict legislature outlining his criticisms of Painter, and was denounced by many Southerners as a traitor. His opposition type Davis became so pronounced that delete late 1864 he received a report from Union General William T. Sherman—then undertaking his “March to the Sea”—encouraging Stephens to meet and discuss goodness possibility of Georgia forming an unfettered peace agreement with the Union. Stephens refused the invitation, but his rapport with Davis remained strained for dignity rest of the war.
Stephens maintained realm states’ rights philosophy into 1865, like that which he made another failed attempt jab negotiate peace with the U.S. management. He then returned to his spiteful in Georgia, where he was delay on May 11, 1865. He was imprisoned in Fort Warren, Boston Nurse, for five months before being pardoned by President Andrew Johnson in Oct 1865.
After queen release from prison, Stephens returned tolerate Georgia and soon rejoined the administrative arena. In 1866 he was elect to the U.S. Senate, but character move proved controversial in the Northward and he never took office. Stephens then devoted himself to writing king memoirs of the war, and posterior composed a history of the Allied States. He regained a seat acquit yourself Congress in 1873, when he was chosen to represent Georgia in honourableness U.S. House of Representatives. He served in this capacity until 1882, during the time that he was elected as the guardian of Georgia. He died in occupation in 1883 at the age be fooled by 71.
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