secession

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Map of the United States during the Civil War, color-coded to show Union free states, Union slave states, Confederate states that seceded before and after April 1861, and West Virginia, which joined the Union in 1863. The map also marks federal and unorganized Indian territories, with the Confederacy highlighted in green and border slave states in orange.

American Civil War: secession

Bombardment of Fort Sumter

Historical map of the southern United States showing county-level voting results on secession from the Union in 1860-1861. Counties are color-coded: orange for secession, purple against secession, pink for divided delegations, and green for no returns. State boundaries and dates of secession are labeled, with dashed lines marking Union-Confederacy boundaries.

secession: References & Edit History

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

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Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	Add new Web site: Oxford Public International Law - Secession.	Emily Rodriguez	Oct 01, 2026
	Add new Web site: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Secession.	Grace Young	Mar 28, 2026
	Add new Web site: American Battlefield Trust - The Reasons for Secession: A Documentary Study in the Civil War.	Aakanksha Gaur	Feb 13, 2026
	Add new Web site: American Historical Association - Chronology of Major Events Leading to Secession Crisis.	Gloria Lotha	Feb 18, 2025
	Add new Web site: Khan Academy - Start of the Civil War - secession and Fort Sumter.	Emily Rodriguez	Jan 09, 2025
	Add new Web site: Digital History - Secession Ordinances of 13 Confederate States.	Emily Rodriguez	Jan 02, 2025
	Add new Web site: CORE - Secession and Self-Determination: A Territorial Interpretation.	Aakanksha Gaur	Nov 23, 2024
	Add new Web site: NCPedia - Secession and Civil War.	Emily Rodriguez	Apr 20, 2022
	Corrected display issue.	Adam Augustyn	Dec 04, 2020
	Media added.	Jeff Wallenfeldt	Aug 06, 2019
	Add new Web site: Texas State Historical Association - The Handbook of Texas Online - Secession.	Aakanksha Gaur	Jul 15, 2014
	Add new Web site: Texas State Historical Association - The Handbook of Texas Online - Secession.	Aakanksha Gaur	May 02, 2014
	Add new Web site: HistoryNet - Secession: How and Why the South Attempted to Leave the United States.	Aakanksha Gaur	May 02, 2014
	Add new Web site: New Georgia Encyclopedia - Secession.	Gloria Lotha	Jun 06, 2011
	Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - History - Biography of Secession.	Shiveta Singh	Nov 07, 2008
	Article added to new online database.	The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica	Jul 20, 1998