Two Countries Before Lincoln Was President — The Confederacy Forms (1861)
In February 1861, seven states gathered and created the Confederate States of America. Lincoln hadn't taken office yet. There were already two nations.
Seven States
February 4, 1861. Montgomery, Alabama.
Representatives from South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas gathered in one room.
Four days later, they adopted a constitution. They named their nation the Confederate States of America.
The President
Jefferson Davis was chosen as the first president.
A Mississippi senator. Mexican War veteran. Former U.S. Secretary of War.
In his inaugural address, he said:
"We seek peace — but we will maintain our independence."
Before Lincoln
All of this happened a month before Lincoln's inauguration on March 4.
Lincoln wasn't president yet. The sitting president, Buchanan, did nothing.
The Confederacy moved to seize federal forts, armories, and ports one by one.
Two Nations
When Lincoln took office in March 1861, two countries already existed.
The United States of America — 23 Northern states. The Confederate States of America — 7 Southern states.
Five weeks later, the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter.
Confederacy founded: February 8, 1861 | Capital: Montgomery (later Richmond) | First President: Jefferson Davis | Final member states: 11
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