📖 Reading Passage

The Secession Convention of 1860-1861

In December 1860, South Carolina held a special meeting called a secession convention. The delegates at this convention voted to leave the United States and form their own country. This decision was mainly caused by disagreements about slavery.

Southern states like South Carolina depended on enslaved people to work on their large farms called plantations. They grew crops like cotton and tobacco that made them wealthy. When Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, many Southerners feared he would end slavery, even though Lincoln had not promised to do this immediately.

The South Carolina convention declared that their state was no longer part of the United States. Soon, other Southern states held their own secession conventions and also voted to leave the Union. By February 1861, seven states had seceded. This eventually led to the formation of the Confederate States of America and the start of the Civil War in 1861.

The main issue that caused secession was slavery. Southern states wanted to protect their right to own enslaved people, while many people in the North believed slavery was wrong and should not spread to new territories.

🔍 Part 1: Multiple Choice Questions

✏️ Part 2: Short Answer Questions