Confederate Arizona convention ratifies secession of southern New Mexico Territory

Background. Prior to 1861, settlers in southern New Mexico Territory sought organization. In April 1860, 31 delegates met in Tucson to draft a constitution for a provisional territory south of the 34th parallel. By March 1861, tensions rose due to the Bascom Affair and the closure of mail routes, prompting citizens in Mesilla and Tucson to call secession conventions to join the Confederacy.

Convention Proceedings. In March 1861, conventions at Mesilla and Tucson adopted an ordinance of secession from the New Mexico Territory and the Union. These delegates established a provisional Arizona Territory, naming Owings as governor, and petitioned the Confederate Congress for admission. The area defined by these conventions later formed the basis for the Confederate Territory of Arizona.

Aftermath. Following the convention, Confederate forces under Lieutenant Colonel John R. Baylor proclaimed the territory on August 1, 1861, with Mesilla as the capital. The Confederate Congress officially recognized the territory in early 1862. However, after the Battle of Glorieta Pass, effective Confederate control ended by July 1862, when the government withdrew to El Paso.