III. 3. Secession

The were eleven states that seceded to form the Confederate States. They were in order of secession: South Carolina (December 20, 1860); Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana (January, 1861); Texas (March, 1861); and Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee (seceded later in 1861).

In February 1861, representatives from South Carolina. Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana met at Montgomery, Alabama, to form a new country - the Confederate States of America formed the Constitution of the Confederacy. It contained similar rules as the Constitution of the United States, but it had six important differnces:

1. The term of the President and Vice-President was six years. The president could not serve successive terms.
2. Cabinet members received seats in Congress and had the priviledge of debate, but they could not vote.
3. Foreign slave trade was ended, but not slavery.
4. Congress was forbidden to make appropriations for internal improvements, to levy protective tariff, or to give bounties.
5. A two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress was necessary to admit a new state into the Confederacy or to make appropriations not requested by the heads of departments through the President.
6. The President could veto single items in apprpriation bills.

Jefferson Davis was the President of the Confederacy and Alexander Stephens was his Vice-President.

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