The document outlines the lead-up to the American Civil War, emphasizing Abraham Lincoln's election and the secession of Southern states starting with South Carolina in December 1860, which eventually formed the Confederate States of America. It describes the establishment of the Confederacy in Montgomery, Alabama, and the adoption of a constitution that protected slavery while resembling the U.S. Constitution. The document also details the significance of Fort Sumter as the site where the war began after Confederate forces attacked when Lincoln attempted to resupply it.

1. CAMBRIDGEAS
HISTORYREVISION
HISTORYOFTHEUSA
1.4 THEBEGINNINGOFTHE
CIVILWARINAPRIL1861

2. IMPLICATIONS OF LINCOLN’S VICTORY
• Fears of the South: that Lincoln would abolish slavery.
• The reality: Lincoln stated that he would not abolish slavery; lacking
control of Congress and the Supreme Court, he would not have been
able to anyway.

3. MORE IMPLICATIONS OF LINCOLN’S VICTORY
• Secession: South Carolina left Union in December 1860; by February
1861, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas had
also seceded; Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia
also left the Union.
• Slave states that did not leave USA: Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland,
Delaware; northern part of Virginia broke away from rest of state to
form West Virginia.

4. SECESSION DETAILS
Secession in the United States refers mainly to state secession. It
applies to the outbreak of the American Civil War when on December
20, 1860, South Carolina officially declared their secession from the
United States.
It was followed four months later by the states of Georgia, Florida,
Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana.
These initial seven seceding states formed the Confederate States of
America based in Montgomery, Alabama.
The capital was moved to Richmond, Virginia.

5. FORMING A CONFEDERACY
• Meeting in Montgomery, Alabama February 1861: rebel Southern
states formed Confederate States of America (CSA).
• Constitution: Jefferson Davis appointed provisional president
(February 1861); constitution adopted (March 1861).
• Fort Sumter, South Carolina: federal fort now in Confederate
territory; Lincoln sent reinforcements to protect it; fort besieged and
forced to surrender; war began.

6. MEETING IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 1861
In Montgomery, Alabama, delegates from South Carolina, Mississippi,
Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana convene to establish the
Confederate States of America.
As early as 1858, the ongoing conflict between the North and the South
over the issue of slavery led Southern leadership to discuss a unified
separation from the United States.
By 1860, the majority of the slave states were publicly threatening
secession if the Republicans, the anti-slavery party, won the presidency.
Following Republican Abraham Lincoln’s victory over the divided
Democratic Party in November 1860, South Carolina immediately
initiated secession proceedings.

7. Jefferson Davis was inaugurated president of the Confederacy on the steps of the State Capitol on February 18, 1861.

8. CONSTITUTION MARCH 1861
The constitution resembled the Constitution of the United States, even
repeating much of its language, but also contained substantial differences
from the U.S. Constitution in its protection of slavery, which was
“recognized and protected” in slave states and territories.
However, the foreign slave trade was prohibited. The constitution
provided for six-year terms for the president and vice president, and the
president was ineligible for successive terms.
Although a presidential item veto was granted, the power of the central
Confederate government was limited by its dependence on state consent
for the use of any funds and resources.

9. CONSTITUTION MARCH 1861, PAGE 1

10. FORT SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA
Fort Sumter is an island fortification located in South Carolina.
Originally constructed in 1829 as a coastal garrison, Fort Sumter is most
famous for being the site of the first shots of the Civil War (1861-65).
When President Abraham Lincoln announced plans to resupply the fort,
Confederate General Beauregard bombarded Fort Sumter on April 12,
1861. After a 34-hour exchange of artillery fire, Anderson and 86 soldiers
surrendered the fort on April 13.
Confederate troops occupied Fort Sumter for four years, resisting several
bombardments by Union forces before abandoning the garrison prior to
William T. Sherman’s capture of Charleston in February 1865.