On December 20, 1860 South Carolina seceded from the Union. Alabama became the fourth state to leave the Union the following month on the 11th, after Mississippi on the 9th and Florida on the 10th. One hundred delegates gathered in the state capital’s house chamber (images in the gallery below) on January 7th. Led by William Lowndes Yancey, a staunch advocate for secession, the delegates voted to leave the Union 61 to 39. Over the next three weeks Georgia (January 19), Louisiana (January 26) and Texas (February 1) also voted to secede.

On February 4th forty-two delegates from six states (South Carolina, Mississipppi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana) met in Montgomery because of its central location to form the Confederate States of America. Howell Cobb of Georgia was chosen to preside. On February 6 delegates from North Carolina, which had not seceded at this point, arrived to plead for conciliation. Their pleas were rejected. Work began on a provisional constitution which was adopted on February 8th. The permanent constitution was approved on March 11th. It was very similar to the United States constitution but the President could only serve one six-year term. On February 9th Jefferson Davis was elected provisional President and Alexander Stephens Vice-President. Howell Cobbs, Robert Toombs and Stephens were also considered for the Presidency. Delegates from Texas did not arrive until February 13th. These meetings occurred in the Senate chamber of the capitol (images in gallery below). On May 21 the Confederate Congress approved moving their capital to Richmond, Va and moved there on July 20th.

A marker commemorating Davis’ election as President of the Confederate States of America is on the second floor of the Senate chamber.

There are eight murals painted on the Alabama capitol dome by artist Roderick MacKenzie one of them is of Davis’ inauguration.

This plaque in the ground just in front of the capitol building marks the spot where Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as the provisional President of the Confederacy on February 18, 1861. He would later be elected to a 6 year-term in October 1861 and inagurated in Richmond, the second capitol of the Confederacy on February 22, 1862.

Site where the first White House of the Confederacy originally stood.

Marker on the site of the old Confederate office building which was demolished. A parking garage and restaurant now sit on the site.

Marker in front of the first White House of the Confederacy

The telegram which began the Civil War originated from the second-floor offices of the Southern Telegraph company in the Winter Building on April 11, 1861. General P.G.T. Beauregard gave the order to fire on Fort Sumter at 4:30 AM the next day.

This is the first post in a six-part series entitled The War Begins series. The story continues in the second post Sherman’s Prophecy.

Sources-

The Civil War A History by Harry Hansen.

The Confederate Homefront Montgomery During the Civil War by William Warren Rogers.