Introduction
The secession or sequential exit of the Southern states from the Union was a major event in the American history that led to the Civil war. Southern secession was seen as a necessity in the plantation economy based Southern states and betrayal in the eyes of the Union. Therefore, the main research question to be explored is the factors that led to the Secession of the Southern states. The factors that played an important role in session of Southern states were abolitionist movement in the South, violation of the sectional balance and economics of slavery in the South (Meadwell & Anderson, 2008, p. 201). These factors combined to develop a conduction, which led to the secession of the Southern states and development of the Confederacy.
Establish Context
Description of Event
After the Presidential election of Abraham Lincoln, several Southern states based on agrarian economy passed secession ordinances to depart the Union. The radical secessionists in the South, especially in Southern Carolina led to the sequential exit of Southern states that supported slavery and wanted to expand them into new territories (Meadwell & Anderson, 2008, p. 200). Secession of the Southern States started in December 1860, when South Carolina ceded from the Union (Robinson, 2013, p. 44). Their secession was followed by other Southern States such as Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri. In combination they formed the Confederate States of America in 1861 and their secession led to the American Civil War.
Cause of Secession
The main causes of secession were the abolitionist movement in the North, dependence on slavery of Southern states, and violation of sectionalism balance. With increased violence and mistreatment of slaves, the abolitionist sentiment was gathering pace for years and it was expected that slavery might be abolished in coming years. The southern states opposed it, as their economy was based on slavery. Slaves used to work on Southern farms and without slaves their economy would not sustain. Finally, violation of sectionalism which allowed division of new states equally among the Free states and slave states led to the secession of South as California was added to Free states and have them superiority in number of states (Hitchcock, 1981, p. 57-72).
Chronology
In December 1860, secession started with the state having most radical secessionists in South Carolina. They were joined by other Southern states such as Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, and Texas in January 1861. The attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861 by the Confederate States Army instigated other states such as Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas and North Carolina to secede (Meadwell & Anderson, 2008, p. 199-227).
Participants
The main participants were Southern states that wanted to retain slavery and strongly wanted to extend slavery in the new territories. The states that participated in the secession were Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri. The confederate states proclaimed the Arizona in 1862 as they attempted to extend slavery into new territories (Meadwell & Anderson, 2008, p. 199-227).
Conclusion
Secession was a political event in the history of America, which managed to divide the country into two parts. The cause of the secession was the violation of the sectional balance, abolitionist movement and dependence of the Southern economy on slavery. The participants were mainly the Union and the Confederacy, where Union mainly consisted of Free states and the Confederacy consisted of Slave states. Secession started in 1860 and ended in 1861 with the creation of the Confederate States of America and start of the Civil War.
References
Allen, A., & Graham, J. R. (2004). A Constitutional History of Secession. The Journal of Southern History, 70(1), 151. doi:10.2307/27648342
Bartlett, R. J., & Shanks, H. T. (1935). The Secession Movement in Virginia, 1847-1861. The Journal of Southern History, 1(1), 100. doi:10.2307/2191766
Hitchcock, W. S. (1981). The Limits of Southern Unionism: Virginia Conservatives and the Gubernatorial Election of 1859. The Journal of Southern History, 47(1), 57. doi:10.2307/2207056
Meadwell, H., & Anderson, L. M. (2008). Sequence and strategy in the secession of the American South. Theory and Society, 37(3), 199-227. doi:10.1007/s11186-007-9047-8
Paquette, R. L., Ferleger, L., & Genovese, E. D. (2000). Slavery, secession, and southern history. Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia.
Robinson, M. (2013). William Henry Seward and the Onset of the Secession Crisis. Civil War History, 59(1), 32-66. doi:10.1353/cwh.2013.0013
