South Carolina becomes the first state to secede from the United States

Background. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, a Republican who opposed the expansion of slavery, brought decades of controversy over slavery to a head. South Carolina politicians argued that secession would be necessary if a Republican won, as the only way to preserve slavery and diminish the influence of the anti-slavery Republican Party, whose abolitionist goals would result in the "destruction of the South." A South Carolinian politician from Barnwell, Aldrich, voiced this position. One historical account observes that South Carolina in 1860 held an entirely different idea of what the ends of government ought to be from that of 1776 or 1787.

Secession Convention. Following Lincoln's election, an official secession convention met in South Carolina. On December 20, 1860, the convention unanimously voted to secede and adopted an ordinance announcing the state's withdrawal from the Union. This made South Carolina the first slave state in the South to declare its secession. The convention later issued a declaration explaining the immediate causes for this action.

Political Context. In November 1860, the South Carolina General Assembly passed a resolution regarding the election of Abraham Lincoln. Former congressman John McQueen wrote to civic leaders in Richmond, Virginia, in December 1860, explaining the reasons for South Carolina's contemplated secession. These actions preceded the formal convention and ordinance adoption.