Which state seceded first

Florida — January 10, Alabama — January 11, At this point in time, just prior to the Lincoln inauguration, the southern states appeared to be falling like dominoes. Georgia — January 19, Georgia would become one of the states that seceded just over one week later, in a to 89 vote in Milledgeville. Texas — February 1, Texas would become the seventh of the states that seceded, voting on February 1 in Austin in a to 7 vote. Virginia — April 17, A Civil War was now five days old.

Arkansas — May 6, President Lincoln was now in war-room mode, and would block every Southern port. North Carolina — May 20, In a unanimous vote on May 20, North Carolina was thought to be the last of the states that seceded.

Tennessee — June 8, Tennessee had initially rejected a secession vote in February of this year, but would become the eleventh of 13 states that seceded in a 66 to 25 vote in June.

Missouri — October 31, Missouri would be the twelfth and second-last of the states that seceded. Kentucky — November 20, When Kentucky became the last of the states that seceded, the state did not hold back. States That Seceded This was the culmination over thirty years of debate about the slavery and extension of slavery into new territories. The first state to secede from the Union was South Carolina.

Significantly, this was not the first time that the people of South Carolina had discussed secession. During the debate over tariffs in the s, South Carolina seriously considered secession. Fortunately, John C. Calhoun helped to solve the problem and South Carolina remained in the Union.

But on December 20th, , South Carolina held a secession convention in Charleston. The debate was quick and short. Representatives voted unanimously, to 0 for secession. The rupture of the Union had finally occurred, and the secession of South Carolina opened the floodgates as four more states from the Deep South quickly joined her.

In early January , Mississippi held a convention in Jackson to consider secession. Delegates voted 84 to 15 to secede from the Union. On January 9th, , Mississippi joined South Carolina. Florida joined the secession ranks the next day on January 10th.

Her convention had met in Tallahassee and had voted 62 to 7 for secession. On January 11th, Alabama passed her secession resolution. The Alabama delegation had met in Montgomery and had voted 61 to 39 for secession. On January 19th, Georgia called delegates to Milledgeville and voted to 89 for secession.

A weeks later Louisiana became the sixth state to leave the Union. He further believed that slavery was the only question that could separate the Union. Designed to protect American manufacturing based in New England, southern planters felt the tariff posed an unfair tax burden on them as they imported many manufactured goods. Citing states rights doctrine, South Carolina voted to nullify the federal tariffs of and During the crisis, Vice President John C.

Calhoun broke with President Andrew Jackson and resigned his office to organize southern resistance. The President sent troops to the federal forts in Charleston Harbor to enforce collection of the tariff. Calling for secession, the South Carolina legislature readied the state militia.

The crisis was defused in by a compromise tariff, but the state had learned that cries of disunion could be an effective political weapon. While white South Carolinians remained vigilant to threats to slavery and continued to advance a doctrine of state sovereignty under the leadership of Senator John C.

Georgia's declaration elaborates a description of the history of slavery and economy in the century before their secede. But, in terms of timing, their issues are specific. What exactly are they referring to with their "serious causes of complaint? In essence, it all comes down to the abolitionist movement. In the South, there were numerous uprisings against slavery by black people. This was a cause of great concern to slaveholders, especially in states where the slave population was a near-majority or was a majority.

It was a source of fear and anxiety, and one that they kept in check through restrictive laws and the threat of military force. These laws were opposed by many groups, especially by free black people living beyond the immediate influence of slaveholders. Northern abolitionists actively opposed these laws meant to keep the enslaved population oppressed.

They refused to return escaped slaves or report on them. They helped more people escape slavery. They opposed attempts to expand slavery or support it at a federal level. They generated a great deal of anger and paranoia among slaveholders that exploded when abolitionist John Brown actively armed and incited an uprising in Harper's Ferry, Virginia.

People across the South feared that Northerners would incite violence and terror to get rid of slavery in their states.