In 1863 a Unionist government in western Virginia created a new state from 50 western counties which entered the Union as West Virginia. Many were cooperationists who either leaned against seceding or favored a more moderate path out of the Union. CONTENTdm - digital.archives.alabama.gov Whereas, the election of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin to the offices of President and Vice President of the United States of America, by a sectional party, avowedly hostile to the domestic institutions and to the peace and security of the people of the State of Alabama, preceded by many and dangerous infractions of the Constitution of the United States by many of the States and people of the northern section, is a political wrong of so insulting and menacing a character as to justify the people of the State of Alabama in the adoption of prompt and decided measures for their future peace and security; therefore. . The people of the State of Mississippi, in convention assembled, do ordain and declare, and it is hereby ordained and declared, as follows, to wit:Section 1. These acquisitions largely exceeded the original limits of the Republic. 1861 | Time Line of the Civil War | Articles and Essays | Civil War . Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window). Secession itself occurred in two phases, sparked by specific events in 1860 and 1861. The first was the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency. And they do further declare, That said Constitution of the United States of America is no longer binding on any of the citizens of this State. 11 Jan. 1861. 2. All but three signed. Sent to referendum 6 May 1861 by the legislature, and approved by the voters by a vote of 104,471 to 47,183 on 8 June 1861. Title of Lesson: Alabama's Secession in 1861: Embraced with Joy and For the South, however, slavery was much more at the forefront. AN ORDINANCE to dissolve the union between the State of South Carolina and other States united with her under the compact entitled "The Constitution of the United States of America." Mississippi Secession (U.S. National Park Service) Your email address will not be published. We the People of the State of Alabama, having separated ourselves from the Government is affected by the ordinance known as the Ordinance of Secession,, Therefore, be it declared and ordained, by the people of the State of Alabama, in Convention assembled, that the State of Alabama now withdraws from the Union,, Alabama was central to the Civil War, with the secession convention at Montgomery, birthplace of the Confederacy, inviting other states to form, Following South Carolina, Mississippi, and Florida, on January 11, 1865, Alabama adopted its Ordinance of Secession by a 61-39 vote and left, The secession of South Carolina was followed by the secession of six more statesMississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texasand the threat, To dissolve the Union between the State of Alabama and other States united under at the date of the Ordinance of Secession, was residing in this State,, On December 20, 1860, a special convention called in South Carolina unanimously passed an ordinance of secession. Passed 10 Jan 1861 Four states went further. In Kentucky, whose potential secession Unionists particularly feared,[4] both the legislature and public opinion firmly opposed secession. Ordinance of Secession, 1861. | Library of Congress ArchiveGrid : Ordinance of Secession, 1861 The first seven seceding states, all of the Deep South, were motivated mainly by two factors: the election in November 1860 of President Lincoln, who had no support among Southern voters, and the direct threat to slavery his election posed. Then, this is the place where you can find sources which provide detailed information. No other state or territory contemplated secession, and the Confederacy did not claim Delaware or Maryland as member states.[5]. Florida's Ordinance of Secession . To dissolve the Union between the State of Alabama and other States united under the compact styled " The Constitution of the United States of America ." Whereas, the election of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin to the . Facsimile of the 1861 Ordinance of Secession signed by 293 delegates to the. ORDINANCE OF SECESSION C.F. therefore: Be it declared and ordained by the people of the State of The work of the historian is based on the documents and evidence left by the actors of historical events. The ineffective Missouri ordinance of secession eventually was passed only by a rump convention meeting at Neosho. Moderates were also placated by a motion to continue the ban on the African slave trade. An Ordinance of Secession was the name given to multiple resolutions[1] drafted and ratified in 1860 and 1861, at or near the beginning of the Civil War, by which each seceding Southern state or territory formally declared secession from the United States of America. The "Secession Movement," political cartoon, ca. Section 2. Texas, Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina all issued additional documents, usually referred to as the "Declarations of Causes," which explain their decision to leave the Union. DECLARATION OF CAUSES: February 2, 1861 - Texas State Library and Kentucky and Missouri, be and are hereby invited to meet the people of the State Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. To provide faster access to our materials, this finding aid was published without formal and final review. In this essay, the author. Alabama was the fourth state to secede from the Union on January 11, 1861. Later this month, Alabama troops seized the lighthouse tender U.S.S. Declaration of the Causes of Secession, Georgia - University of Houston This act was passed by a rump legislature called into session in Neosho, Mo., by Gov. The governor sent a force to take the Fort Smith arsenal, and Arkansas regiments began organizing to fight for the South. On January 11, 1861, a convention of elected delegates passed an ordinance withdrawing Alabama from the United States. ________________________________________TENNESSEE document or series of documents begins. The demand was followed by an offer: I am instructed also to notify you, that you have the option to continue in command of the said revenue cutter, under the authority of the State of Alabama, in the exercise of the same duties that you have hitherto rendered to the United States, and at the same compensation, reporting to this office and to the Governor of the State. The captain accepted, and by months end, Alabamans had expelled most Federal personnel from their state. Whereas, the election of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin They wanted to make clear that their allegiance to the state while explaining their reservations about seceding from the Union. Thousands of pro-Union voters voted for a secession convention aiming that it should fail. Sec. Said that if a woman insulted a Confederate Soldier that she would no longer be treated like a lady. Home - Virginia in the American Civil War - Research Guides & Indexes The Crittendon Compromise (1860) USA Census 1860. approve such purpose, in order to frame a provisional as well as permanent Traditionally, only four states are held to have issued "declarations of causes:" South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, and Texas.In addition, Alabama, Virginia, and Tennessee issued legislative resolutions touching on the issue of secession, and there is a "lost" declaration from Florida.However, buried within the journals of the Arkansas Secession Convention are the details of this . Digital History Description North Carolina was one of the last states to secede from the Union and join the Confederacy. Mississippi It was one of the original seven states to form the Confederacy on February 8, 1861. Alabama Ordinance of Secession - Wikisource, the free library . SOUTH CAROLINA|MISSISSIPPI|FLORIDA|ALABAMA|GEORGIA|LOUISIANA|TEXAS|VIRGINIA|ARKANSAS|NORTH CAROLINA|TENNESSEE|MISSOURI|KENTUCKY, Secession Acts of the Thirteen Confederate States (Yale), SOUTH CAROLINA Address. These conflicts took many formseconomic, social, politicalbut almost always included discussion of slavery in some form. Despite Missouri and Kentucky remaining within the Union, thousands from both states embraced secession by choosing to fight for the Confederacy. Alert at Mobile. DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND ORDINANCE dissolving the federal relations between the State of Tennessee and the United States of America. The Decision to Secede and Establish the Confederacy: A - Historians As the secession movement grew, people in Arkansas became greatly concerned. Describe Alabama's secession process. A second resolution passed that enabled the remaining 24 opponents to sign a document acknowledging Alabamas decision without taking part in it. ; PASSAGE OF THE ORDINANCE , Alabama in the American Civil War Wikipedia, Alabama Constitution of 1861 | Encyclopedia of Alabama, 1861 | Time Line of the Civil War | Articles and Essays | Civil War , Ordinances and constitution of the state of Alabama: with the , secession | History, Definition, Crisis, & Facts | Britannica, Alabama vehicle registration fee calculator, Alabama DHR minimum standards for daycare centers, Alabama defined benefit retirement plan list. Where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Grant. Journals of the Secession Convention, 1861 - Constitution of Texas Document to the people of Alabama from thirty-three men at the 1861 secession convention explaining why they did not sign the Ordinance of Secession. Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Secession Dbq - 324 Words | 123 Help Me Secession Documents: Alabama Civil Discourse Alabama was the fourth state to secede from the Union on January 11, 1861. Tennessee's Ordinance of SecessionJune 8, 1861. Thus ordained and declared in convention the 9th day of January, in the year of our Lord 1861. Had it convened, it would have been overwhelmingly pro-Union. Approved, October 31, 1861. Be it resolved by the people of Alabama in Convention assembled. TSHA | Secession - Handbook of Texas Troops seized Mount Vernon that same day, which had been guarded by just 17 Federal troops under Captain Jesse L. Reno. Stop the Largest Rezoning in Orange County History, Grant Remembers the Surrender and Victory at Vicksburg, "Rejoicing Over the Proclamation" Primary Source Questions, A Brief Overview of the American Civil War, The Gathering Storm: The Secession Crisis. Alabama Series J. In the "volunteer state," the memory of Andrew . . Required fields are marked *. The original document is housed in the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina. President of this Convention, be and is hereby instructed to transmit forthwith This act to take effect and be in force from and after its passage. AN ORDINANCE to dissolve the union between the State of North Carolina and the other States united with her, under the compact of government entitled "The Constitution of the United States." The Government of the United States claimed territory by virtue of the treaty of 1783 with Great Britain, acquired territory by cession from Georgia and North Carolina, by treaty from France, and by treaty from Spain. Alabama Textual Materials Collection Ordinance of Secession, adopted by the Alabama constitutional convention of 1861. WHEREAS, the action of the Northern States of the Union is violative of the compact between the States and the guarantees of the Constitution; and, 2. Now, therefore, we, the people of Virginia, do declare and ordain, That the ordinance adopted by the people of this State in convention on the twenty-fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight, whereby the Constitution of the United States of America was ratified, and all acts of the General Assembly of this State ratifying and adopting amendments to said Constitution, are hereby repealed and abrogated; that the union between the State of Virginia and the other States under the Constitution aforesaid is hereby dissolved, and that the State of Virginia is in the full possession and exercise of all the rights of sovereignty which belong and appertain to a free and independent State. day of January, A.D. 1861. 1861, at the city of Montgomery, in the State of Alabama, for the purpose of delegated to the Government of the United States of America, be and they are is hereby withdrawn from the Union known as "the United States of America," and henceforth ceases to be one of said United States, and is, and of right ought to Not a single secession declaration used these words. Done by the people of the Sec. After the state of Alabama seceded from the Union in January of 1861, a small county within the state, known as Winston County, disagreed with the decision and tried to secede from the South. And as it is the desire and purpose of the people of Alabama to meet the slaveholding States of the South, who may approve such purpose, in order to frame a provisional as well as permanent Government upon the principles of the Constitution of the United States. the people of Alabama to meet the slaveholding States of the South, who may Be it further declared and Winston County was populated at the time by what Alabama residents called "Hill people.". WHEREAS, The recent developments in Federal affairs make it evident that the power of the Federal Government is sought to be made a weapon with which to strike down the interests and property of the people of Texas, and her sister slave-holding States, instead of permitting it to be, as was intended, our shield against outrage and aggression; THEREFORE,SECTION 1.-- We, the people of the State of Texas, by delegates in convention assembled, do declare and ordain that the ordinance adopted by our convention of delegates on the 4th day of July, A.D. 1845, and afterwards ratified by us, under which the Republic of Texas was admitted into the Union with other States, and became a party to the compact styled "The Constitution of the United States of America," be, and is hereby, repealed and annulled; that all the powers which, by the said compact, were delegated by Texas to the Federal Government are revoked and resumed; that Texas is of right absolved from all restraints and obligations incurred by said compact, and is a separate sovereign State, and that her citizens and people are absolved from all allegiance to the United States or the government thereof. One, C. Christopher Sheats of Winston County, continued arguing against secession until he was dragged out of the hall by celebrating citizens and put in jail for the rest of the convention. The remaining slave-holding states had to decide whether they would side with the Union against the South or secede and join the new Confederacyfour states decided to leave. We do further ordain and declare, That all rights acquired and vested under the Constitution of the United States of America, or of any act or acts of Congress, or treaty, or under any law of this State, and not incompatible with this ordinance, shall remain in full force and effect, in nowise altered or impaired, and have the same effect as if this ordinance had not been passed. These are great resources to use in the classroomI do an exercise with these documents whenever I teach secession to my studentsbut also for those who want to engage in the practice of history and better understand the causes of secession. Digital History ID 3953. The secession convention had 69 delegates representing Florida's 36 counties. Avalon Project - Confederate States of America : Documents During the next two months ordinances of secession were adopted by the states of Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. Hope, the above sources help you with the information related to Alabama Declaration Of Secession. Beyond Virginia, effective secession in most of a state could critically destabilize or virtually eliminate state government control over a region where people strongly rejected secession and favored the Union, such as East Tennessee and other areas. To dissolve the Union between the State of Alabama and other States united under the compact styled "The Constitution of the United States of America.". to secede. An Ordinance to dissolve the Union Between The State of North Carolina Fugitive Slave Act 1850. Articles of secession, adopted December 24, 1860. The secession resolution cited the election of ABRAHAM LINCOLN by a sectional party, avowedly hostile to the domestic institutions, and the peace and security of the state, as reason for secession. It was one of the original seven states to form the Confederacy on Read more The Declaration of Causes of Seceding States | American Battlefield In Missouri and Kentucky, attempted secession was belated, severely disrupted, lacked sufficient popular support, and failed. Alabama, in February 1861. Be it further declared and ordained by the people of the State of Alabama in Convention assembled, That all the powers over the Territory of said State, and over the people thereof, heretofore delegated to the Government of the United States of America, be and they are hereby withdrawn from said Government, and are hereby resumed and vested in the people of the State of Alabama. She earned her M.A. Geographic exposure to conflict between larger neighboring states also deterred secession in Delaware and Maryland. ________________________________________ALABAMA States and people of the Northern section, is a political wrong of so insulting AN ORDINANCE to repeal the ratification of the Constitution of the United State of America by the State of Virginia, and to resume all the rights and powers granted under said Constitution. This page is not available in other languages. the several States named in said resolutions. Four years of war ended the institution of slavery, altered the Virginia landscape, displaced families, and cost thousands their lives. No other state considered secession. Every delegate was a white male owning, on average, 10 enslaved people. The other . An act declaring the political ties heretofore existing between the State of Missouri and the United States of America dissolved. Arkansas Declaration The document also calls for a convention of the slave states in order to determine the path in their own shared interests. Now the word "rights" can be found 14 times, and "right" appear 32 times in these four state secession . Through the 1850s, politicians desperately sought compromise to preserve the United States, but by the end of that decade enough conflict had piled up that each section of the country viewed each other as potential threats to safety, security, and society. In Tennessee as in Arkansas, during the secession crisis of 1861 the support for immediate secession was weak. Secession had been seriously mentioned as a political option at least as far back as the Missouri crisis of 1819-21, and threats to disrupt the Union occurred in every sectional crisis from the nullification era (1828-33) onward. Secession Ordinances of 13 Confederate States. Schultz, Fred L. (Patricia L. Faust ed.). Complete and original . We furthermore declare and ordain that article 10, sections 1 and 2, of the constitution of the State of Tennessee, which requires members of the General Assembly and all officers, civil and military, to take an oath to support the Constitution of the United States be, and the same are hereby, abrogated and annulled, and all parts of the constitution of the State of Tennessee making citizenship of the United States a qualification for office and recognizing the Constitution of the United States as the supreme law of this State are in like manner abrogated and annulled. And we do further hereby declare and ordain, That the State of Arkansas hereby resumes to herself all rights and powers heretofore delegated to the Government of the United States of America; that her citizens are absolved from all allegiance to said Government of the United States, and that she is in full possession and exercise of all the rights and sovereignty which appertain to a free and independent State. Both sides in the Civil War regarded these eleven states and territory as de facto seceding. ________________________________________MISSISSIPPI People of Alabama, in Convention assembled, Last edited on 29 December 2017, at 18:34, Ordinances and Constitution of the State of Alabama, The Constitution of the United States of America, https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Alabama_Ordinance_of_Secession&oldid=7173462. Every purchase supports the mission. Z. George, of Carroll; S. J. Gholson, of Monroe; E. H. Sanders, of Attala; J. L. Alcorn, of Coahoma; An Ordinance to dissolve the union between the State of Alabama and the other States united under the compact styled "The Constitution of the United States of America" Stanchak, John E. (Patricia L. Faust ed. Be it resolved by the people of Alabama in Convention assembled, That A majority favored immediate secession while some wanted to wait until Georgia and Alabama left first. The website or any of the authors does not hold any responsibility for the suitability, accuracy, authenticity, or completeness of the information within. Reno wrote his superiors: As it was impossible for me to hold this place with my seventeen men, I trust that the Department will not hold me responsible for this unexpected catastrophe., Governor Moore wrote to President James Buchanan explaining the reasons why he felt compelled to order the seizure of Federal property before the convention began: I was fully convinced by the evidences which I had that that convention withdraw the State of Alabama from the Government of the United States Being thus convinced I deemed it my duty to take every precautionary step to make the secession of the State peaceful, and prevent detriment to her people The purpose with which my order was given and has been executed was to avoid and not to provoke hostilities between the State and Federal government., On the 5th, Alabama militia took Forts Morgan and Gaines, which were vital in protecting the entrance to Mobile Bay. These delegates came mainly from cities where there were few slaves, or from northern Alabama where small farmers still adhered to Andrew Jacksons notion of an indivisible Union. Avalon Project - Alabama : Constitution of January 7, 1861 And be it further resolved, That the President of this Convention be, and he is hereby, instructed to transmit forthwith a copy of the foregoing Preamble, Ordinance, and Resolutions to the Governors of the several States named in said resolutions. He perused the documents of the Secession Convention and nothing turned up to support its official adoption. Dr. Kathleen Logothetis Thompson graduated with her Ph.D. from West Virginia University in 2017. SEC. In addition, Kathleen was a seasonal interpreter at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park from 2010-2014 and has worked on various other publications and projects. Most of the ordinances of secession were straight-forward documents referring to a state's ratification of the Constitution then withdrawing the state from it, as well as proclaiming its sovereignty, etc. The convention met in Tallahassee, Florida's capital, for seven days. That the people of the States of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri, be and are hereby invited to meet the people of the State of Alabama, by their Delegates, in Convention, on the fourth day of February, A. D. 1861, at the city of Montgomery, in the State of Alabama, for the purpose of consulting with each other as to the most effectual mode of securing concerted and harmonious action in whatever measures may be deemed most desirable for our common peace and security. "Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery--the greatest material interest of the world," members declared. Secession: How and Why the South Attempted to Leave the - HistoryNet