In the early 1860s, the United States was dividing over the issue of slavery. Many Southern states wanted to keep slavery because their farms and businesses made money by forcing enslaved people to work without pay. These states wanted to keep the system of slavery so they could continue to have free labor.
To do this, they decided to leave the United States. This was called secession.
In 1861, Alabama played a big part in this moment in history.
In February 1861, leaders from Southern states met in Montgomery, Alabama. They created a new group of states called the Confederate States of America (CSA). The Confederacy’s main goal was to protect and keep slavery. Montgomery became the first capital of the Confederacy.
One of the most famous events was when Jefferson Davis was sworn in as the first president of the CSA. His inauguration happened on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol, making Montgomery a key place in the Confederacy’s beginning.
But not everyone in Alabama agreed with secession. Many people in northern Alabama did not want to leave the United States. One area, called Winston County, became famous for saying it would stay part of the U.S. even if the rest of Alabama left. This area was nicknamed the Free State of Winston. People in another area, known as the Nickajack region, even talked about making their own state because they didn’t want to join the Confederacy.
In 1861, people who supported the Union (the United States) held a meeting at a place called Looney’s Tavern. They gathered to talk about how they disagreed with Alabama’s choice to secede.
Even though Alabama became a big part of the Confederacy, these stories show that not everyone in the state felt the same way. Alabama’s role in the start of the Civil War is important because it shows how one state can have a big role in history—and how people within the same state can have different beliefs about what is right.