The President of the Confederate States is the head of state and the head of government of the Confederate States. As chief of the executive branch and head of the federal government as a whole, the presidency is the highest political office in the Confederacy by influence and recognition. The president is also the Commander-in-Chief of the C.S. armed forces. The president is indirectly elected to a six-year term by an Electoral College.
Office[]
According to the Confederate States Constitution, The President is to be:
- chosen by an electoral college from each state in the Confederacy. Each state is granted as many electors as they have members in the Confederate Congress (senators and representatives).
- elected jointly with a Vice Presidential running mate (but the President and VP can not be citizens of the same state)
- either a born citizen of the Confederacy or a citizen of the United States born prior to December 20, 1860 and to have "been 14 years a resident within the limits of the Confederate States, as they may exist at the time of his election."
- at least 35 years of age
Differences[]
There are a few key differences between the Confederate President and the United States President:
- Unlike the United States, which allowed for indefinite re-election (until the passage of the Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1951) of both the President and Vice President after a four-year term, the Confederacy limits both offices to only one six-year term.
Confederate Presidents[]
Non-partisan/Independent
Democratic Party
Whig Party
Confederalist Party
Liberal Party
Libertarian Party
No. | President | Took office | Left office | Party | Vice President | Term | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jefferson Davis | February 22, 1862 | February 22, 1868 | Democratic | Alexander Stephens | 1 | |
2 | Alexander Stephens | February 22, 1868 | February 22, 1874 | Democratic | Christopher Memminger | 2 | |
3 | Robert E. Lee | February 22, 1874 | February 22, 1880 | Whig | Judah P. Benjamin | 3 | |
4 | Judah P. Benjamin | February 22, 1880 | May 6, 1885 D | Whig | James Longstreet | 4 | |
5 | James Longstreet | May 6, 1885 | February 22, 1892 | Whig | vacant | ||
Augustus Hill Garland | 5 | ||||||
6 | Benjamin Tillman | February 22, 1892 | February 22, 1898 | Democratic | John McEnery | 6 | |
7 | W.H.F. Lee | February 22, 1898 | February 22, 1904 | Whig | Thomas Goode Jones | 7 | |
8 | Furnifold Simmons | February 22, 1904 | February 22, 1910 | Democratic | Carter Glass | 8 | |
9 | Carter Glass | February 22, 1910 | February 22, 1916 | Democratic | James P. ClarkeD | 9 | |
vacant | |||||||
10 | Jacob M. Dickinson | February 22, 1916 | February 22, 1922 | Whig | Lee S. Overman | 10 | |
11 | Joseph T. Robinson | February 22, 1922 | February 22, 1928 | Democratic | ? | 11 | |
12 | James F. Byrnes | February 22, 1928 | February 22, 1934 | Whig | ? | 12 | |
13 | Huey Long | February 22, 1934 | February 22, 1940 | Democratic | John N. Garner | 13 | |
14 | John N. Garner | February 22, 1940 | February 22, 1946 | Democratic | Cordell Hull | 14 | |
15 | Cordell Hull | February 22, 1946 | February 22, 1952 | Democratic | Dwight D. Eisenhower | 15 | |
16 | George Marshall | February 22, 1952 | February 22, 1958 | Whig | Chester W. Nimitz | 16 | |
17 | Robert E. Howard | February 22, 1958 | February 22, 1964 | Democratic | Estes Kefauver | 17 | |
18 | Lyndon B. Johnson | February 22, 1964 | February 22, 1970 | Liberal | Robert Byrd | 18 | |
19 | Robert Byrd | February 22, 1970 | February 22, 1976 | Liberal | Lloyd Bentsen | 19 | |
20 | George Wallace | February 22, 1976 | February 22, 1982 | Confederalist | Lester Maddox | 20 | |
21 | Boone Pickens | February 22, 1982 | February 22, 1988 | Independent | Bill Clements | 21 | |
22 | Bart Starr | February 22, 1988 | February 22, 1994 | Confederalist | Pat Buchanan | 22 | |
23 | Bob Barr | February 22, 1994 | February 22, 2000 | Libertarian | Ron Paul | 23 | |
24 | John Edwards | February 22, 2000 | February 22, 2006 | Liberal | Stephen Colbert | 24 | |
25 | Stephen Colbert | February 22, 2006 | Incumbent | Liberal | Jeff Foxworthy | 25 |
Notes[]
- D Died in office of natural causes.