The Jefferson Davis's Citizenship Restoration Story

It all began with a promise to my grandmother. A pinky swear, really. But by 1977, that promise had carried me through more than a decade of intense research, lobbying, and prayer—and landed me on the steps of the United States Capitol.

The final two years of the journey to restore Jefferson Davis’s U.S. citizenship were a whirlwind of anticipation, action, and—at last—achievement.

It started on...

There are moments in life when the weight of history and the hope for justice collide in the most unexpected places. For me, one of those moments came as I sat across from Senator Strom Thurmond—one of the most senior and powerful members of the U.S. Senate—determined to fulfill a promise made to my grandmother: to restore the citizenship of our ancestor, Jefferson Davis.

Thanks to a personal int...

In the mid-1970s, I was juggling a career, raising a young family, and carrying a promise that weighed heavily on my shoulders: to restore the U.S. citizenship of my great-great-grandfather, Jefferson Davis. It wasn’t just a mission passed down from my grandmother—it was a personal calling. And slowly, piece by piece, the path began to open.

Some of the most pivotal steps came not through grand g...

Copy of Dr. Howard Haller’s Political Science Degree

The story I’m about to share is one that changed my life—and nudged a small piece of American history in a new direction.

It started with a pinky swear

Not the kind you make and forget. This was a solemn promise made to my grandmother, Lucy White Hayes Young—granddaughter of Jefferson Davis—on her deathbed. With a piercing look and unwavering...

Why I Fought to Restore My Great-Great-Grandfather’s Citizenship

By Dr. Howard Edward Haller

As I write these words, I feel the weight of history resting on my shoulders.

Not just as an author…
Not just as a historian…
But as the great-great-grandson of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States during the American Civil War.

This story isn’t just about politics or controversy—it’s a...

As the great-great-grandson of President Jefferson Davis, a man whose life was deeply entwined with one of America's most turbulent eras - the Civil War, I felt a strong connection to this historical legacy. This bond was nurtured by my grandmother, Lucy White Hayes Young, Jefferson Davis' granddaughter. Her annual visits were the highlight of my childhood, a time when history came to life through...

Jefferson Davis was the president of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. After the war ended in 1865, the United States government took away his citizenship. This decision was highly controversial and still sparks debates among historians and legal experts.

The main reason for taking away Jefferson Davis's citizenship was his involvement in the Civil War. As the president of t...

In the annals of American history, few stories are as compelling and thought-provoking as the saga of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States of America during the tumultuous years of the Civil War. The aftermath of the war saw Davis stripped of his citizenship, marking the beginning of a long and complex process to restore it—a journey that would take more than a century to compl...