Alexander Stephens

Alexander Stephens (February 11, 1812 – March 4, 1883)  was an American politician from Georgia and the first and only vice-president of the Confederate States of America. He also served as a Congressman from Georgia and as the fiftieth Governor of Georgia from 1882 until his death in 1883.

Early Life and Career
Stephens was born near Crawfordville, in Taliaferro County, in Georgia, on February 11, 1812, to Margaret Grier and Andrew Baskins. At age fourteen, he was orphaned. He graduated from Franklin College (which later became the University of Georgia) in 1832 and was admitted to the bar two years later. He was elected as a Whig to the state Congress of Georgia in 1836, where he served for seven years; he served in the State House from 1837 to 1841 and the State Senate from 1842 to 1843. He made a lifelong friend out of Robert Toombs. In 1843, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives and remained there until 1859. He was a strong supporter of slavery, he supported the annexation of Texas, and supported the Compromise of 1850 being passed. Stephen and Toombs seized leadership of the state party and they worked to get the Kansas-Nebraska Act passed, and they resisted secession before the election of President Abraham Lincoln. However, unlike Toombs, Stephens opposed secession until it became a fait accompli in 1861.

Confederate Vice-President
Stephens served as the Vice-President of the Confederate States under President Jefferson Davis. According to the Constitution of the Confederate States of America, the office of Vice-President of the Confederate States of America is nearly identical to the office of Vice-President of the United States of America. During his tenure, Stephens grew increasingly distant from President Davis and tried unsuccessfully many times to keep diplomatic ties to the U.S.

Related Pages

 * Jefferson Davis
 * Confederate States of America

On the Web
Modern History Sourcebook: Alexander H. Stephens (1812-1883): Cornerstone Address, March 21, 1861