Towards the middle of the 19th century, there began to be rumblings of discontent with the US Senate. Tensions between the American North and South were rapidly rising, and many Southern senators began talks of secession.
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Jetzt kostenlos anmeldenTowards the middle of the 19th century, there began to be rumblings of discontent with the US Senate. Tensions between the American North and South were rapidly rising, and many Southern senators began talks of secession.
The election of Republican President Abraham Lincoln in 1860 was the final straw for the Democratic South. In what is now known as "Secession Winter," handfuls of Southern states claimed their separation from the Union and founded the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy would last four years, from 1861 to 1865.
The Confederate States of America was a group of eleven states that seceded from the US upon the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860. President Lincoln believed that secession would not only severely weaken democracy and the overall American government but also go against the Constitution.1
President Abraham Lincoln claimed that his first and most crucial task was ensuring the Union's preservation. Lincoln made good on his claim, and the Confederacy lost the war in the spring of 1865. They became a part of the Union once again.
With the Abolitionist Movement rapidly growing in the American North in the 19th century, many in the South began to fear that slave ownership would be abolished.
Abolitionist Movement
a movement that originated in the North during the 19th century; called for the immediate end to slavery
Modernization and Industrialization of the North had not only brought in new influences from abroad but also removed the need for slavery. As a single-crop economy centered around slavery, the Southern economy would no longer be sustainable.
In the 1850s, South Carolina and Mississippi were the first states to make their intentions of secession clear to protect their agricultural economies. Upon realizing there would be a Republican candidate for the election of 1860, the South knew they needed to act. The growing confidence in their secession was backed by the power of "King Cotton," the crop that accounted for more than half of US exports. By withholding the crop, the South assumed that the US and Europe would be forced to reach accommodations with them to continue exports and recognize them as independent nations from the North.
During the Democratic Convention of 1860, southern delegates could not agree on the official Party policy; some wished to be completely pro-slavery, while others understood it would be wiser to attempt a compromise. Despite meeting twice, the Democratic Party was split into three groups and put forth three candidates for the election. The first was the Northern Democratic Party which nominated Stephen A. Douglas; the second was the "Fire-Eaters", a militant Southern Democratic group that put forth John C. Breckinridge; finally, there was the Constitutional Union Party, who only stood in support of what the Constitution stated and the government deemed correct. They went on to nominate John Bell.
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This separation of the Democratic Party would hold heavy responsibility for the win of Abraham Lincoln, who claimed the election despite being left off of 10 Southern state ballots.
Throughout the Secession Winter of, seven states claimed their separation by February of 1861. On the 4th of February, representatives from South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana (Texas following later on) met in Montgomery, Alabama, to find The Confederate States of America.
When writing their Constitution, they modeled it almost precisely off the US Constitution. Still, they changed a couple of crucial aspects, specifically regarding the Executive and Judicial branches of government. The Confederate President was allowed to lead for a six-year term but not allowed to be re-elected. This was deemed more powerful than the term times and conditions of Union Presidents. The Confederate Constitution also upheld the right of slavery in their new country but still outlawed the African slave trade.
When the seven states met in February to lay the foundation of their new nation, former secretary of war and current Senator of Mississippi, Jefferson Davis, was elected as the Confederacy's President. Interestingly, ex-Georgia governor and former anti-secessionist Alexander H. Stephens became the Vice President.
Throughout the Civil War and his Presidency, Davis had his authority repeatedly challenged by the people and his own Vice President. Davis was unfit for his position and was called out for it all too often, forcing him to reconstruct his cabinet multiple times to keep his way. The people of the states were becoming angry that the Confederate government felt it had the power to draft men into the war, as it infringed upon the states' rights. Davis faced impeachment multiple times during his short years as President.
As the war raged on and the Confederacy saw a more significant loss of men, previously enslaved African American men began entering the military. The South also used them as nurses and orderlies in the hospitals, aiming to win the war.
An orderly is an attendant in a hospital that holds responsibility for the non-medical care of the patients, such as maintaining hospital order and cleanliness.
The Confederate States of America had multiple different flags with various meanings for each, it was all dependent on the area and regiment that was being represented.
Fig. 6 Naval Jack Confederate Battle Flag
"Dixie" or "Rebel Flag"
One of the most recognizable flags is the Confederate Battle Flag, also known as "Dixie" or the "Rebel Flag." This flag is often confused with the Confederate "Stars and Bars." The Battle Flag never represented the nation as the Stars and Bars did from 1861 to 1863. As new states were added to the Confederacy, the number of stars on the flag increased.
States in the Confederacy | Flag |
Flag in use from March 1861 to May 1861Seven states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas | |
Flag in use from May 1861 to July 1861Nine states: Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia | |
Flag in use from July 1861 to November 1861Eleven states: Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia | |
The final iteration of the flag Thirteen states: Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Missouri, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia |
Confederate States of America Facts
The Confederacy was divided by the tensions between President Jefferson Davis, Congress, and the state Senators. State governors constantly ridiculed Davis for the governments overreach into states' rights. Davis constantly bickered with his Vice President and rearranged his cabinet multiple times due to backlash.
Approximately between 1,500 and 1,700.
The Confederate States of America were fighting for their right to secession from the Union.
The Confederate States of America was created from grouping the states who decided to secede from the Union. Their goal was to create a country that was independent from the American North.
The states of the Confederacy were South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
Tensions between the President, Congress, and State Governors caused political divides in the Confederacy.
True.
Even before its founding, the Confederate States faced divisions on official Democratic Party policy.
True.
How long did the Confederate States of America exist?
4 years, 1861 to 1865.
Who was the Confederacy's President?
Jefferson Davis.
The Confederate Constitution upheld both slavery and the slave trade.
False. The slave trade was still prohibited.
The Confederate Constitution was modeled after the US Constitution.
True.
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