Just before the US Civil war, what were the first two states to secede from the union?

As the tensions over slavery and states' rights reached a boiling point in the United States, the election of Abraham Lincoln in November 1860 proved to be the final catalyst for several Southern states to declare their independence from the Union. The first state to formally withdraw was South Carolina, which did so on December 20, 1860, following a unanimous vote at a special convention. This momentous decision was a direct response to what many Southerners perceived as a threat to their way of life, particularly the institution of slavery, which they believed the Republican government intended to abolish.

Just weeks later, the wave of secession continued, with Mississippi becoming the second state to leave the Union on January 9, 1861. The declarations of secession from these early states often explicitly cited the protection of slavery as a primary reason for their departure. They argued for the right of individual states to govern themselves without federal interference, especially concerning issues like human bondage, which was central to the Southern economy and social structure.

The rapid secession of South Carolina and Mississippi, quickly followed by other Southern states, marked the initial unraveling of the United States and set the stage for the devastating conflict that would become the American Civil War. Within a few short months, several more states would follow suit, leading to the formation of the Confederate States of America and ultimately, the outbreak of hostilities at Fort Sumter in April 1861.