The True Story Behind Jefferson Davis’s Citizenship Restoration

Many people have heard the myth — that one day, President Jimmy Carter happened to find a paper in his desk drawer and decided to restore Jefferson Davis’s citizenship on a whim. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

This is the real story of how Dr. Howard Edward Haller (“Doc”), the great-grandson of Jefferson Davis, spent years researching, drafting, and helping shepherd a bill through Congress to right a historical wrong. What follows is a nine-part mini-series drawn from his full account — the story of how dedication, faith, and persistence restored honor where it was long overdue.

Read the series below — short, factual, and told from the man who lived it.

Doc Haller’s Real-Life Story

(Free Mini-Series)

How the real work to restore Jefferson Davis’s citizenship actually unfolded—no, it wasn’t a random “paper in a drawer.” Read it in short, linked parts.

  1. Part 1: How Jefferson Davis’s Citizenship Was Restored
  2. Part 2: The Love Story — Jefferson Davis & Sarah Knox Taylor
  3. Part 3: Marriage & Early Trials
  4. Part 4: Life After the War
  5. Part 5: The Promise to Set the Record Straight
  6. Part 6: Winning Key Support in the Senate
  7. Part 7: Thurmond, Cranston & Bipartisan Momentum
  8. Part 8: Passage in the House
  9. Part 9: President Carter Signs
  10. Part 10: Final Reflections