ShmoopTube

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[Dino and Coop singing]

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Today, we're talking about Davis Bend, Mississippi, an area of land and cotton plantation originally [Field of cotton]

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owned by Jefferson and Joseph Davis. [Jefferson and Davis appear]

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Jefferson Davis was best known as being the President of the Confederate States of America

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during the Civil War.

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In case you've forgotten, that's the side that was pro-slavery, and the side that lost. [Davis stood in front of a confederate flag]

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But let's take a step back. [The confederate flag disappears]

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Before the war, Jefferson's brother Joseph ran the plantation as what he hoped would

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become the model for all good slave plantations, where he did his best to treat his slaves

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well and give them a little bit of freedom here and there. [Slave smiling and is then put in a cage]

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Though not enough freedom to y'know, actually… be free.

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Then the whole Civil War thing happened, which as you know, didn't end too well for the Davis [Pictures of the war]

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brothers and their Confederate pals.

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This loss was at least partly Jefferson's fault, because he wasn't very good at coming [Jefferson riding a horse]

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up with war strategies, which is kind of important… when you’re in a war.

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He also printed lots and lots of Confederate money to finance the war. [Jefferson printing money on a photocopier]

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Which sounds like a pretty good way to get more money, right?

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Except the more money there is, the less money is worth. [Graph showing devaluing]

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Think of it like pizza – if there's only one slice left, everyone wants it, so the [People fighting over a slice of pizza]

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value goes up.

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But if there's a hundred slices, then everyone stops being desperate for it, and the value [People lying on the floor surronded by pizza]

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goes down.

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As the Confederacy lost, the Union invaded and Joseph was forced to flee the Davis Bend [Joseph running away]

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plantation, leaving the slaves to run it on their own. [Slave is left behind]

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After all was said and done, the Union decided that the plantation should belong to the freed

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slaves and be like a paradise for them. [Waiter brings drinks to slaves sat on a beach in deckchairs]

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Davis ended up selling the land to one of his most savvy and successful former

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slaves, Benjamin Montgomery.

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At first, things didn't go so bad for Benjamin.

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But then the price of cotton plummeted... [Graph showing the price of cotton going down]

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Needless to say, being the black owner of a cotton plantation wasn't exactly paradise. [All the nice things at the beach disappear]

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And to make matters even worse, Jefferson Davis only had to spend a brief time in jail [Jefferson Davis's cell unlocks]

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before being pardoned for his war crimes and released.

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And, surprise, surprise, he came right back to Davis Bend and campaigned to get it back. [Jefferson Davis arrives at his old plantation]

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And because life is not a Disney movie and not all stories have a happy ending, by 1878, [The slaves are dancing in a nice field, it then begins to rain and they look unhappy]

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Jefferson Davis got his wish and Davis Bend was returned to the Davis family.

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We know what you're thinking: is there no justice in this world? [Girl looking angry]

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Nope, not always.

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That's why we watch a lot of Disney movies and eat a lot of pizza.

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“And they lived happily ever.... wait a second!”

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Show his tombstone.

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“Here Lies Jefferson Davis – a man who died before the internet or TV or video games

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or even Doritos.

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Chump!”

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Shmooper watching a happy Disney ending, "If only real life was like this…"

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Blue Fairy appears.

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Shmooper: "Blue Fairy!

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Are you here to make real life better?"

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Blue Fairy: "No.

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I smelled pizza.

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Scoot over."

Full Transcript