December 22, 1860 South Carolina selects 3 commissioners to arrange for delivery of public lands, including Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter, to the independent state.

December 21, 1860 South Carolina representatives withdraw from the U. S. House

December 20, 1860 South Carolina becomes the first state to attempt to secede from the United States. Governor Francis W. Pickens takes office in South Carolina. Governor Francis Pickens of South Carolina demands President Buchanan relinquish control of Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie. Edwin Stanton becomes Attorney-General in the Buchanan Administration Secretary of War John [...]

December 18, 1860 Pro-Union Senator John Crittenden of Kentucky proposes the Crittenden Compromise, which allowed states south of the old Missouri Compromise line to determine for themselves whether they entered the Union slave or free. Crittenden Compromise fails.

December 17, 1860 South Carolina Secessionist Convention is called to order. The convention decides unanimously (169 to 0) to secede from the United States and appoints a committee to draw up the needed documents.

December 14, 1860 Georgia calls for a convention of Southern states to form an independent nation.

December 13, 1860 Twenty-three House members and seven Senators from the South make a public announcement calling for the creation of a Southern Confederacy.

This is the second of a series of posts, generally daily, on the events and milestones related to the Civil War from 160 years before the date posted. This post is a “catch up” post to bring the blog up to date. 12/01/1860—Robert Anderson makes his third request for reinforcements at Fort Moultrie 12/04/1860—Outgoing President [...]

This is the first of a series of posts, generally daily, on the events and milestones related to the Civil War from 160 years before the date posted. This post is a “catch up” post to bring the blog up to date, starting with the election of Lincoln. 11/06/1860—United States presidential election: Abraham Lincoln elected [...]