Secession Declarations Explicitly Name Slavery as the Cause

The secession declarations of South Carolina (December 24, 1860), Mississippi, Georgia, and Texas all explicitly named the preservation of slavery as the primary cause of secession. South Carolina's declaration stated the Northern states had 'denounced as sinful the institution of slavery.' Mississippi's declared: 'Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery — the greatest material interest of the world.' Georgia cited Lincoln's election as a threat to slavery. Texas's declaration explicitly defended slavery as a racial system. Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens's 'Cornerstone Speech' (March 1861) stated slavery, based on 'the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man,' was the cornerstone of the Confederacy.