Alexander H. Stephens

Full Name: Alexander Hamilton Stephens
Profession: Vice President of the Confederate States

Nationality:

Biography: Alexander H. Stephens was an American politician who served as the Vice President of the Confederate States during the American Civil War. Prior to his tenure with the Confederacy, Stephens was a prominent figure in Georgia politics and served as a U.S. Representative from Georgia.

A leading Southern politician and a proponent of states' rights, Stephens is remembered for his "Cornerstone Speech" delivered in 1861, in which he outlined the principles of the Confederacy, asserting the racial inferiority of Black people and the natural state of slavery, a viewpoint now widely considered repugnant and inhumane.

Stephens, however, also showed a willingness to compromise. In the early days of the Civil War, he advocated for peace and negotiation with the Union, a stance that often put him at odds with Confederate President Jefferson Davis. After the Confederacy's defeat, Stephens was briefly imprisoned before being pardoned.

He resumed his political career post-war, again serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and later as Governor of Georgia.

Born: February 11, 1812
Birthplace: Crawfordville, Georgia, USA
Star Sign: Aquarius

Died: March 4, 1883 (aged 71)