When Jefferson Davis died on December 6, 1889, his funeral was a major event in the United States, receiving front-page attention throughout the country. By the time of his death, Davis had become a transitional figure. He was the embodiment of the Old South, who lived long enough to be seen as emblematic of the New South. Davis's funeral and reburial is also symbolic of his problematic legacy as a leader of the Confederate States of America and its role in the perpetuation of slavery.