War Declared: States Secede from the Union!

Following the election of President Abraham Lincoln, South Carolina seceded from the Union on December 20, 1860, becoming the first state to do so. Other states soon followed suit and America would never be the same…

Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th president of the United States in 1860, and later inaugurated in 1861. His election was a sectional victory, winning none of the southern states. This was the final straw for many Southerners, as they feared that his presidency would result in the end of their way of life.

 

On December 20, 1860, South Carolina declared their secession from the United States of America. Within the next six months, ten other southern states would secede from the Union:

1. Mississippi - January 9, 1861
2. Florida - January 10, 1861
3. Alabama - January 11, 1861
4. Georgia - January 19, 1861
5. Louisiana - January 26, 1861
6. Texas - February 1, 1861

**April 12, 1861, the Civil War begins with the attack of Fort Sumter.**

7. Virginia - April 17, 1861
8. Arkansas - May 6, 1861
9. North Carolina - May 20, 1861
10. Tennessee - June 8, 1861

 

The U.S borders were split between the United States of America, Confederate States of America, Border States, and Territories.

 

On February 4, 1861, the seven states that had seceded by this point convened and created the Confederate States of America under the leadership of Jefferson Davis. Just under two months later, on April 12, 1861, Confederate forces opened fire on Union-occupied Fort Sumter off the South Carolina coast. This was the beginning of the Civil War.

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