Jefferson Davis was born on June 3, 1808, in what is now Todd County, Kentucky. Raised in Mississippi, he attended Transylvania University for three years and then entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, from which he graduated in 1828. He served in the infantry for seven years. While stationed at Ft. Crawford, Wisconsin, Davis fell in love with Sarah Knox Taylor, daughter of post commandant Zachary Taylor (a future U.S. president). Taylor disapproved of his daughter marrying a military man. Davis resigned his commission in 1835, married Sarah, and took her to Mississippi. However, within three months she died of malaria. Davis had also contracted a light case of the disease, and it permanently weakened his health. From 1835 to 1845, he lived in seclusion.

Davis spent much of his time reading and developed a fascination for politics. Elected to the House of Representatives in 1845, Davis and Varina...