Jefferson Davis by Cory Gideon Gunderson

I'm having a hard time with this book. Do we need biographies of Confederate leaders? Yes. We need to know about and understand that history. Do we need to be really careful about what/ how they say things? Yes. Here are parts that I marked to think about as I read this book.
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Some people see Jefferson as a hero who led a brave fight to keep the Southern states free. Others see him as a stubborn, foolish leader of a war that resulted in death for more than 600,000 Americans. p4

Varina was a mature, intelligent 17-year-old woman. p15 (This is the GIRL/ CHILD that Davis married.)

Jefferson felt strongly about slavery. He believed that Southerners had the right to own slaves and that the North should mind its own business. He reasoned that slaves were simply property that some Southerners owned. Jefferson feared that freed slaves would take white people's jobs or property, marry white women, or become criminals. He believed freed slaves could not survive on their own. p18

Jefferson truly believed that slavery was good for slaves and their owners. Compared to many slave owners, the Davises treated their slaves respectfully. Many slave owners chose their slaves' food and gave them only small portions. The Davises allowed their slaves to choose their own food. Most slave owners gave their slaves new names that were different from their African names. The Davises allowed their slaves to choose their own names. The Davises also provided nicer houses for their slaves than the normal slave quarters. p20

News that Jefferson was captured in Varina's cloak became greatly exaggerated. Stories and drawings such as that at left appeared in many newspapers showing Jefferson dressed as a woman. These false stories embarrassed him. p35

Though North and South were reunited, hatred still existed between them. The Civil War left the North stronger than the South and weakened the power of state governments. And while millions of slaves were freed, many were unprepared for their new lives. p41
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