Secession in the Civil War

Secession in the Civil War Summary

Since 1819, tensions between the North and South had only grown regarding the topics of slavery, tariffs, and states’ rights. The South had threatened to leave multiple times since that year, as the cultures, ideologies, and politics between the two territories were vastly different. On one hand, the North firmly believed in

the idea of “self-determination” and the ability to change one’s social standing. On the other hand, the South believed in maintaining their social standings; with their hierarchy being determined by the institution of slavery.

Fig. 1 James Madison 1816

According to James Madison (4th US President, 1809-1817), a Federal Republic such as the United States naturally brought forth challenges in regards to central control. To avoid secession in the country’s future, he proposed the idea that states would not be allowed to secede after formally ratifying the Constitution within their territory. However, this was open to change, as varying interpretations and circumstances could be claimed by the states.

As the US began to modernize in the 1850s, industrial development and the idea of free labor were beginning to encourage more Abolitionist ideologies in the North. This put the South‘s cotton culture and slave labor under pressure when it came to the United States and European reformation activity. Secession was once again brought up by the South when Western territorial arguments began after the Mexican War of 1848.

The final nail in the coffin, which would set in stone the idea of secession for the Southern states, was the election of a Republican President. Abraham Lincoln’s name was not even printed on 10 state ballots in the South, as his running was so deeply frowned upon. Although Southern states had been officially planning their leave since 1858, this gave them the final push they needed to peruse that decision.

As an attempt to avoid the South's secession, President Lincoln offered an additional amendment to the slave states; it would guarantee the South the right to the enslavement of African people in whatever territories it was already legally accepted. This was of course under the condition that the South remained a part of the Union. Despite this offer, John C. Calhoun, the leading spokesman for the Southern slave states, claimed that they would still be “under assault” from the industrializing North and the new Republican President.

Fig. 2 Abraham Lincoln 1863 Fig. 3 John C. Calhoun circa 1845

Reasons for Southern Secession in the Civil War

There were three main reasons for Southern Secession in the Civil War:

1. The South wanted to keep their slaves and were beginning to fear that reformation in the United States and Europe would take them away.
2. The South feared race-mixing, not only regarding enslaved African people but also concerning the influx of migrant workers from multiple other countries.
3. The South believed that the North was beginning to overstep its boundaries, most especially with the nomination of a Republican Presidential candidate.

Order of Secession in the Civil War

On December 20th of 1860, South Carolina representatives met to discuss their formal secession from the Union. By the beginning of February 1861, 5 more states had also decided upon their secession; Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. These states formed “The Confederate States of America” in what is known as "Secession Winter".

North Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Virginia also later joined this new government and moved its capital to Richmond, Virginia. Interestingly, 50 counties of Western Virginia remained loyal to the Union, which led to the eventual separation of Virginia and West Virginia. The remaining states that bordered the 36’30 line, such as Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri, also stayed loyal to the Union despite contributing volunteers to the Confederacy.

Fig. 4 Free and Slave States in the period leading to the American Civil War

Here is the order of secession in the Civil War:

1. South Carolina, December 20^th, 1860
2. Mississippi, January 9^th, 1861
3. Florida, January 10^th, 1861
4. Alabama, January 11^th, 1861
5. Georgia, January 19^th, 1861
6. Louisiana, January 26^th, 1861
7. Texas, February 1^st, 1861
8. Virginia, April 17^th, 1861
9. Arkansas, May 6^th, 1861
10. North Carolina, May 20^th, 1861
11. Tennessee, June 8^th, 1861

The Civil War Begins

Beginning in Charleston, South Carolina’s harbor at Fort Sumter in 1861, the Civil War between the North and the South would last until 1865. The South would put up a hard fight for the protection of their secession but to no avail. The Confederate States lost the war and were forced to remain a part of the Union.

Over the four years of war, Abraham Lincoln slowly chipped away at the slavery the South held onto so strongly. In 1861, Lincoln told any Confederate sympathizers that if they were caught, their land would be taken from them, and every enslaved person would be free.

• In 1862, Congress passed the Militia Act; this allowed black men to serve in the US military as laborers
• In 1863, the “Emancipation Proclamation" was finally signed by Lincoln; if the Confederate states did not decide to re-join the Union within the next 100 days, all of their slaves would be declared “forever free”. Though at the time this did very little for enslaved people, it caused a shift in the war; it was no longer just about the preservation of the Union, it was also about abolishing slavery

Fig. 5 Man reading a newspaper with headline 'Presidential Proclamation Slavery'

Upon winning the war in 1865, Lincoln went on to add the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which freed all slaves by abolishing the institution of slavery completely. Naturally, Confederate sympathizers were outraged by this. Just two months after the passing of the Proclamation, Lincoln was assassinated by Confederate sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth.