Charles J. Jenkins holds a distinguished educational background, having graduated from the University of Georgia and Union College in 1824. He began his career in law and public service, eventually succeeding George W. Crawford as the attorney general for the State of Georgia. Jenkins played a pivotal role in drafting the Georgia Platform, which endorsed the Compromise of 1850. His leadership extended to the Supreme Court of Georgia, where he served during the American Civil War. Jenkins also served as Governor of Georgia during the Reconstruction era, and he was later chosen as the president of the state constitutional convention in 1877.

Charles J. Jenkins's political career reveals a complex blend of ideological flexibility and steadfast regional loyalty. His authorship of the Georgia Platform, endorsing the Compromise of 1850, contrasts sharply with his later refusal to support a racially integrated constitutional convention during Reconstruction. Jenkins's judicial appointments and roles, including his service as a Supreme Court Justice during the Civil War, underscore a commitment to maintaining state authority, even as he navigated the tumultuous landscape of post-war America.