Alexander Stephens was born on February 11, 1812. He grew up in Georgia and lived there most of his life. Stephens was a Whig and he served in the U.S. Congress for 16 years. After the Whig party began to crumble in the South, he joined the Democrat party. As a Democrat, he was President James Buchanan's Floor Manager. In 1861, during the Secession Convention, Stephens argued that the South should stay with the Union. He believed that there was not enough Republicans (Republicans at the time opposed slavery) to outweigh the thoughts of the South.
When the South did secede from he Union, Stephens was elected Vice President of the Confederacy, and took a temporary Oath of Office on February 11, 1861. His 49th Birthday. He took his full term Oath a year later, February 22, 1862. During the this time, he said his most famous speech, the Cornerstone speech. In this speech he stated that slavery should continue, and also stated that the Confederacy should remain separate from the Union because the North and South did not want the same thing, therefore they should not be the same country.
While the Civil war was being fought, under several occasions did Stephens try to negotiate with Abraham Lincoln to have a Prisoner Exchange (to let one war prisoner go in exchange for the release of one of your own). This however, did not work. But do to his effort he was sent to the meeting at Hampton Road by Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy, to negotiate further with Lincoln.
Even after the war was over, and when all the slaves had been released, Stephens was elected into the U.S. Senate, where he would serve for 18 years as one of Georgia's Senators. Stephens died on March 4th 1883, less than half a year after his resignation from the Senate.
When the South did secede from he Union, Stephens was elected Vice President of the Confederacy, and took a temporary Oath of Office on February 11, 1861. His 49th Birthday. He took his full term Oath a year later, February 22, 1862. During the this time, he said his most famous speech, the Cornerstone speech. In this speech he stated that slavery should continue, and also stated that the Confederacy should remain separate from the Union because the North and South did not want the same thing, therefore they should not be the same country.
While the Civil war was being fought, under several occasions did Stephens try to negotiate with Abraham Lincoln to have a Prisoner Exchange (to let one war prisoner go in exchange for the release of one of your own). This however, did not work. But do to his effort he was sent to the meeting at Hampton Road by Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy, to negotiate further with Lincoln.
Even after the war was over, and when all the slaves had been released, Stephens was elected into the U.S. Senate, where he would serve for 18 years as one of Georgia's Senators. Stephens died on March 4th 1883, less than half a year after his resignation from the Senate.