To contemporary students of American history the name of Jefferson Davis is permanently linked with his role as president of the Confederate States of America. To Americans of the 1850s, however, Davis was a prominent member of the U.S. Senate and a significant figure in American politics. Known for his polished oratory, he was a hero of the Mexican-American War and served with distinction as secretary of war under President Franklin Pierce. Davis, as the leader of the southern cause and extoller of states’ rights in the Congress, framed many of the political issues leading up to the Civil War. His leadership as Confederate president shaped the course of the Civil War, and his incarceration after the conflict laid the foundations for the image of the tragic but noble heroes of the South. Davis became the quintessential unreconstructed Confederate. His tenacious belief in the righteousness of the Confederate cause had a strong impact on the way in which the South dealt with defeat.