The 11 Confederate States: Complete List & Secession Order

The Confederate States of America (CSA) consisted of 11 Southern states that seceded from the Union between December 1860 and June 1861, triggering the Civil War.

Secession Order & Dates

1. South Carolina – Dec 20, 1860
2. Mississippi – Jan 9, 1861
3. Florida – Jan 10, 1861
4. Alabama – Jan 11, 1861
5. Georgia – Jan 19, 1861
6. Louisiana – Jan 26, 1861
7. Texas – Feb 1, 1861 (ratified Feb 23)
8. Virginia – Apr 17, 1861 (after Fort Sumter)
9. Arkansas – May 6, 1861
10. Tennessee – Jun 8, 1861 (referendum)
11. North Carolina – May 20, 1861

Key Context

• All were slave states; secession declarations explicitly cited slavery preservation as primary cause.
• Border slave states (MO, KY, MD, DE) stayed in Union (though had Confederate factions/governments).
• West Virginia split from Virginia (1863) to join Union.
• CSA capital: Montgomery, AL → Richmond, VA (May 1861).