In 1861, the legality of secession was a contentious issue. Some argued that states had the right to secede from the Union, while others believed that the Constitution did not allow for secession. Ultimately, the Civil War settled the question, with the Union victory establishing that secession was not constitutional.
South Carolina
Seven states declared their secession before Lincoln took office on March 4, 1861: # South Carolina (December 20, 1860) # Mississippi (January 9, 1861) # Florida (January 10, 1861) # Alabama (January 11, 1861) # Georgia (January 19, 1861) # Louisiana (January 26, 1861) # Texas (February 1, 1861) After the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, and Lincoln's subsequent call for troops on April 15, four more states declared their secession: # Virginia (April 17, 1861; ratified by voters May 23, 1861) # Arkansas (May 6, 1861) # Tennessee (May 7, 1861; ratified by voters June 8, 1861) # North Carolina (May 20, 1861)
When Virginia's passed an ordinance of secession on April 17, 1861, John Letcher was the state's governor.
The Federal-State relationship
In 1861, four Southern states seceded from the Union. These were:Virginia, April 17th;Tennessee, May 7th;Arkansas, May 9th; andNorth Carolina, May 20th.
West Virginia rejected secession on June 11, 1861.
1861
Tennessee was the last of the eleven Southern states to declare secession from the Union as a substantial portion of the population were against secession. Tennessee seceded from the United States on June 8, 1861.
1860 1861 1862
South Carolina
Albert Taylor Bledsoe has written: 'Is Davis a traitor; or, Was secession a constitutional right previous to the war of 1861? By Albert Taylor Bledsoe' 'Is Davis a traitor?' -- subject(s): Secession, Politics and government, Causes, History 'A theodicy; or, Vindication of the divine glory, as manifested in the constitution and government of the moral world' -- subject(s): Theodicy 'An essay on liberty and slavery' -- subject(s): Accessible book, Controversial literature, Emancipation, Fugitive slave law of 1850, Justification, Slavery, Slaves, United States 'Is secession treason?' -- subject(s): Constitutional history, History, Politics and government, Secession, United States Civil War, 1861-1865
The Crittenden Plan or Crittenden Compromise was introduced in 1861 and if had passed in congress it might have prevented secession. The Kentucky senator who introduced it was John Crittenden.
South Carolina
L.Q.C. Lamar
Tennessee was the last state to vote to leave the Union during the Southern secession in 1861. The state officially seceded on June 8, 1861, following a statewide referendum. Tennessee's decision came after the initial wave of secession by other Southern states, reflecting a more divided sentiment within the state itself.
Most southerners during the secession crisis of 1860-1861 believed that states had the right to secede from the Union, viewing it as a constitutional right to protect their interests, particularly regarding slavery. They felt increasingly threatened by the growing anti-slavery sentiment in the North and the election of Abraham Lincoln, whom they perceived as a direct threat to their way of life. This belief in states' rights and the necessity of secession was widely supported across the southern states, leading to the formation of the Confederate States of America.
Tennessee was the last of the eleven Southern states to declare secession from the Union as a substantial portion of the population were against secession. Tennessee seceded from the United States on June 8, 1861.