The Confederate States, also known as the Confederate States of America (CSA), was a self-proclaimed government that existed in the Southern region of the United States from 1861 to 1865. The Confederacy emerged as a result of the secession of several southern states following the election of President Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the extension of slavery into new territories. With the arrival of Lincoln in office, these states feared that their rights to own slaves and determine their own governance were at risk.
The Confederate States comprised eleven states, including South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Richmond, Virginia served as the capital of the Confederacy. Jefferson Davis was the elected president of this new government. Importantly, the Confederacy upheld the institution of slavery, viewing it as integral to their economic and social systems.
The Confederate States sought recognition as an independent nation distinct from the United States. However, the Union government, under President Lincoln, refused to recognize their legitimacy and deemed secession as unconstitutional. As a result, the Confederacy engaged in a civil war with the United States known as the American Civil War (1861-1865). The war ended with the Union's victory and the subsequent abolition of slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
