Exploring the most important 55 months in American history
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: President Abraham Lincoln convenes his cabinet to discuss what to do about Fort Sumter amidst differing opinions. Lincoln weighs the costs of abandonment versus holding the fort, and then decides to send someone there to assess the garrison’s condition.
OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Jefferson Davis prioritizes securing foreign recognition for the new Confederacy by appointing three commissioners for diplomatic missions to three influential European nations. Meanwhile, Federal military officers continue to resign to go South, and Confederate officials approach Robert E. Lee to do the same.
Major Robert Anderson’s Federal garrison at Fort Sumter faces isolation while South Carolina officials seek its surrender. But the South Carolinians will need the new Confederate government to back them up.
New Confederate President Jefferson Davis works to build the executive department from scratch, emphasizing moderation by selecting some appointees who actually opposed secession. Davis also initiates efforts for national defense, diplomacy, and securing foreign recognition for the Confederacy.
Some 10,000 people attend the inauguration of Jefferson Davis as the first president of the Confederate States of America. The ceremony features a grand procession and an inaugural address emphasizing independence.
Jefferson Davis leaves for the Confederate capital at Montgomery, Alabama, to become the first president of the new Confederate States of America.