Born in Wilkes County, Georgia. Graduate of the University of Georgia in 1832. Admitted to the Georgia bar in 1834.

Elected to Georgia legislature and served 1836 to 1841. Elected to state senate in 1842. Elected to the U. S. House of Representatives and served October 2, 1843, to March 3, 1859.

Elected Vice President of the Confederacy February 9, 1861. He was frequently opposed to the policies of President Jefferson Davis.

In January 1866 he was elected to the U. S. Senate but was excluded. Elected to the House of Representatives and served again December 1, 1873, to November 4, 1882. In 1882 he was elected Governor of Georgia but died shortly after taking office. He died in Atlanta.

Stephens appeared on Confederate currency:

$20 series of 1861, 1862, 1863 and 1864

bio: ApCAB; BDC; DAB; Drake; EAB; NCAB 3; TCBDA; WAB; WWWA-H