An haifi Davis a Fairview, Kentucky, ga wani manomi mai wadataccen arziki, ƙarami daga cikin yara goma. Ya girma a gundumar Wilkinson, Mississippi, kuma ya zauna a Louisiana. Babban ɗan'uwansa Joseph Emory Davis ya tabbatar da nadin Davis na ƙarami a Kwalejin Sojojin Amurka. Bayan kammala karatunsa, Jefferson Davis ya yi shekaru shida a matsayin laftana a cikin Sojojin Amurka. Ya yi yaƙi a cikin Yakin Amurka na Mexico (1846-1848), a matsayin kanalan wani rukunin masu sa kai. Kafin yakin basasar Amurka, ya yi aiki da babban gonar auduga a Mississippi, wanda ɗan'uwansa Joseph ya ba shi, kuma ya mallaki bayi 113. Ko da yake Davis ya yi jayayya da rabuwa a 1858, ya yi imanin cewa yana da haƙƙin haƙƙin barin Union. Tambaya: Menene Davis ya yi kafin yakin basasa?
ya gudanar da babban gonar auduga