The Day the Vote Was Cast: How Jefferson Davis’s Citizenship Was Restored
September 26, 1978, began like any other day in Washington, D.C. — but for Dr. Howard Edward Haller, it was the culmination of 13 years of work, hope, and determination.
By sundown, both the House of Representatives and the Senate would approve the resolution to restore Jefferson Davis’s U.S. citizenship.
A Long Year of Waiting
After the Senate passed the resolution in April 1977, it stalled in the House for more than a year. A few members of Congress quietly objected to the language, holding it back from a vote.
Howard kept calling, writing, and praying — but much of the work was now in the hands of Congressman Trent Lott, who navigated the politics behind closed doors.
When Senator Strom Thurmond asked Howard who was championing the bill in the House and heard the name “Trent Lott,” he simply replied:
“That’s good. He’s the right guy.”
A Call That Changed Everything
On September 10, 1978, Lott’s office told Howard the bill was expected to move at last.
Just over two weeks later, the House discharged the Committee on the Judiciary and passed the resolution — with minor amendments. The Senate agreed to the changes that same day.
It was over. The vote was cast.
More Than a Political Win
Restoring Jefferson Davis’s citizenship wasn’t about rewriting history or excusing the Civil War. It was about recognizing his full life of service and helping the nation heal an old wound.
For Howard, it was also the fulfillment of a promise made to his grandmother — a pinky swear that had carried him through hundreds of letters, phone calls, and trips to Washington.
When the final vote was cast, history shifted — not in sweeping headlines, but in quiet reconciliation. And it all began with a promise.
Experience the Full Story
The day of the vote was just one chapter in a much bigger journey. You can hear every twist and turn in The Jefferson Davis Citizenship Project collection: