What is a secession convention?

Answer 1

In U.S. politics, it has been considered appropriate for a political question of a fundamental nature to be debated and resolved in a special assembly, elected for that purpose only. Such assemblies are called "conventions". Conventions have been called to write or revise constitutions, both state and and Federal, and to approve or reject Constitutional amendments.

The ratification of the U.S. Constitution was carried out by conventions.

The declaration of secession would obviously be a fundamental political question, amounting to 'un-ratification' of the Constitution. Thus, it was considered proper to have secession decided on by a convention. In some states, the procedure also included a ratifying referendum of the state's voters.

In the wake of Lincoln's election in 1860, slavery advocates called for all slave states to declare secession. Opponents of secession tried to block secession conventions.

Secession conventions were called by the legislatures of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. In North Carolina and Tennessee, the legislature called a referendum of the state's voters to decide on holding a secession convention, and the voters said no.

In Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas, a majority of delegates elected were immediate secessionists; all these states declared secession by the end of January 1861.

The convention in Arkansas voted against secession and adjourned, but with the proviso that it would meet again if circumstances changed.

The convention in Missouri voted against secession and adjourned sine die (that is, permanently).

The convention in Virginia voted against secession, but remained in session.

In April 1861, Confederate troops bombarded Fort Sumter in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, forcing its surrender by the U.S. Army. Lincoln then proclaimed a state of rebellion and called for troops to put it down.

The Virginia convention then declared secession the next day.

Tennessee and North Carolina also declared secession by legislative action. While this was in theory invalid, sentiment in both states was now overwhelmingly secessionist, and the actions were ratified by referendums later that year.

Arkansas also declared immediate secession; this was ratified by its convention in early May.

In Missouri, there was a struggle between Governor Jackson, who was a secret secessionist, and General Lyon, U.S. Army commander in St. Louis. Lyon seized the state militia camp at St. Louis. This dubiously legal action was shocking to many Missourians, and the legislature might have voted to declare secession - but the legislature had previously delegated that authority to the now adjourned convention, and so did not act.

In Maryland, there was a brief period of disorder in April and May when pro-Confederate crowds in Baltimore attacked Union troops going to Washington. Union troops then imposed martial law, and pro-southern Marylanders called for secession. The legislature met in special session, declared that only a convention had power to declare secession, and voted not to call a convention. [NOTE: it is sometimes claimed that many Maryland legislators had been arrested, or that Union troops were present and compelled the vote. No legislators had been arrested at this time, and the legislature met in Frederick, where there were no Union troops.]

Kentucky did not hold a formal convention. Governor Magoffin proclaimed the state "neutral", but this ended in September 1861 when Confederate and Union troops entered the state. The legislature and new governor declared for the Union. In November, a group of Kentuckians who were serving in the Confederate Army held an informal convention at Russellville, and issued a declaration of secession, but few have ever claimed it was effective.