“The violations of the Constitution of the United States by the Federal Government...fully justified this State in withdrawing from the federal Union.”
—South Carolina Declaration of Secession
South Carolina vowed to leave the Union if Abraham Lincoln won the presidency in 1860. He’s pledged to stop the spread of slavery, they say. What will happen when he appoints antislavery judges to the federal government?
Like so many Southerners, they think Lincoln’s election will threaten “liberty, property, country—everything that makes life worth having.”
Now, just six weeks after his victory, South Carolina has made good its threat. By 169-0, delegates to a special convention have voted to secede.
Monday, April 15, 1861
The Confederacy, now seven states strong, has fired on and captured Fort Sumter. Today President Lincoln has called up 75,000 troops. We are at war.
