Mississippi Becomes Second State to Secede from the Union

When South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union on Dec. 20, 1860, politicians, newspapers, and the general public in both the North and South knew other states would soon follow. The divisions between the two halves of the country over the issue of states’ rights had grown too wide for effective compromise, and secessionist talk was heard throughout the South. It did not take long for other states to follow South Carolina’s example.

On Jan. 9, 1861, Mississippi seceded from the Union, Florida seceded the next day, and Alabama the day after that. Within a month seven seceding states formed the Confederate States of America, to be joined by four additional Southern states after the attack on Fort Sumter began the Civil War.

The following newspaper article is about Mississippi’s secession from the Union. The article, from a Southern newspaper, is a news report of the official act of secession and the wild celebrations in the capital city of Jackson, Mississippi.