Remember Jeff Davis? Many Say Forget It.

Thought perhaps better suited for a posting on Dimitri Rotov's outstanding (and required reading) blog, this news article about Jefferson Davis is interesting reading for students of American history.

To our everlasting detriment, our history is barely taught in government schools today. One of my recent college students could not name the first president of the U.S., one supreme court justice, or identify a single Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. We are in serious trouble, folks.

I have studied Davis extensively and have always found him fascinating. In fact, I am delivering a lecture to the Sacramento, California, Civil War Round Table this September entitled "Lincoln and Davis at War." Davis was a very complex individual, wholly worthy of study for a host of reasons. I think the article linked in this blog makes that abundantly clear.

In case anyone is interested, I believe the best Davis biography remains Jefferson Davis: The Man and His Hour, by William C. Davis (no relation).

(Hat tip to Kevin Ahearn.)

--tps