Republican Party Establishment
The Republican Party was founded in 1854, primarily in opposition to the expansion of slavery into new territories
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. This was several years before Jefferson Davis became involved with the Confederacy.
Jefferson Davis's Political Affiliation
Jefferson Davis was a member of the Democratic Party. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a Democrat before the American Civil War
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. In fact, Davis became publicly involved in politics in 1840 when he attended a Democratic Party meeting in Vicksburg and served as a delegate to the party's state convention
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Davis's Election to Confederate Presidency
Jefferson Davis was not elected in a traditional sense to the presidency of the Confederate States. Instead, he was chosen by a convention of seceded states meeting in Montgomery, Alabama, to be the provisional president of the newly created Confederate States of America
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. This occurred in February 1861, after several Southern states had seceded from the Union following the election of Republican Abraham Lincoln as U.S. President in 1860
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.It's worth noting that Davis was surprised at the news of his selection as Confederate President. He had expected war and hoped to become the commander in chief of the Southern armies rather than serve as president
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