South Carolina Secession: First State to Leave the Union, Dec 20, 1860

South Carolina Secession refers to the December 20, 1860 vote by a special convention in Charleston to dissolve the state's union with the United States—triggering the secession crisis and Civil War.

Sequence

1. Nov 6, 1860: Lincoln elected (Republican, anti-slavery platform).
2. Nov 10: SC legislature calls convention.
3. Dec 17: Convention meets (Columbia, then Charleston due to smallpox).
4. Dec 20: 169–0 vote for Ordinance of Secession.
5. Dec 24: Declaration of Immediate Causes adopted — cites slavery, states' rights, Northern non-enforcement of Fugitive Slave Act.

Core Grievances (Per Declaration)

• Non-slaveholding states "denounced as sinful the institution of slavery."
• Election of a president "hostile to slavery."
• States' rights to control domestic institutions (slavery) violated.
• Compact theory: Union as voluntary agreement—breach justifies withdrawal.

Aftermath

• Jan–Feb 1861: MS, FL, AL, GA, LA, TX follow.
• Feb 4, 1861: Confederate States of America formed (Montgomery).
• Apr 12, 1861: Fort Sumter (Charleston harbor) bombarded — war begins.

Legacy

SC's action reflected planter elite dominance; most white males voted for secession delegates. The "Lost Cause" myth later obscured slavery's centrality. Today, SC acknowledges: 2015 Confederate flag removed from State House grounds after Emanuel AME shooting.