Civil War Vocabulary • Amendment – a change made to a law • Federalism – power is distributed between a national government and the states • Freedmen – a person who has been freed from slavery. • Martial Law – rule by an army instead of civil authorities. • Secede – to withdraw, in this case, from the U.S. • Sectionalism – excessive devotion to local interests and customs to a region of a nation. • Sharecropper – a tenant farmer who receives a share of the value of the crop minus charges for rent and other expenses. A Nation Divided • 1861 Texas joins ten other southern states that withdrew from the US – Formed the Confederate States of America • Differences: – – – – Taxes Public land State rights Slavery Southern States Vow to Secede • Southern states threatened to secede if Lincoln won in 1860 • Abraham Lincoln won and six states seceded – South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana • Governor Sam Houston was urged to secede, but he opposed secession – Believed Texas could preserve its interests by staying in the Union Texas Secession Convention • Even though Sam Houston opposed secession, Texans that favored leaving the union called a convention – Believed the citizens should have the right to vote secede or remain • Most delegates opposed secession and did not participate in the convention Texas Secession Convention • Those that did attend favored secession – Adopted the Ordinance of Secession – Stated the US had abused its power and Texas was freed from its allegiance to the US • Texas became the sixth state to secede – Followed by Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina Confederacy Formed • February 4, 1861 Confederate States of America adopted a constitution • Constitution favored states rights and protected slavery • Texas then adopted the Texas Constitution of 1861 – Replaced references to the US with Confederacy Houston Removed • Texas Secession Committee ordered all state officials to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy • Governor Sam Houston refused to take the oath and the governor’s position became vacant • Lt. Governor Edward Clark replaced Sam Houston Assignment • Place the following events in chronological order – – – – – Texas joins the Confederacy Abraham Lincoln elected president Texas Secession Convention meets Sam Houston removed as Governor South threatens secession during presidential campaign