Inside the Vault: South Carolina Ordinance of Secession

On December 1, 2022, our curators discussed the 1860 South Carolina Ordinance of Secession. They were joined by Charles Dew of Williams College, who explained how the passage of the Secession Ordinance led directly to the Civil War.

Click here to download the slides from the presentation.

Featured Documents

• South Carolina Secession Ordinance
• Declaration of the Immediate Causes of Secession
• The Ordinance of Secession for the State of South Carolina
• The Union is Dissolved!

Use the Timestamps Below to Jump to the Topic You Want to View

• 2:06–2:30: Today’s Document
• 2:31–7:22: “The Union is Dissolved!”
• 7:23–15:10: Where Do We Begin?
• 15:11–21:50: Timeline
• 21:51–24:03: Two Pivotal Documents
• 24:05–27:37: Ordinance of Secession
• 27:38–33:30: Christopher Memminger
• 33:31–38:50: Declaration of the Immediate Causes of Secession
• 38:51–46:02: Texas Fire Scare
• 46:03–49:47: Fort Sumter
• 49:48–52:24: Secession Continues
• 52:25–1:00:20: Q&A

Related Resources

• Essay: “The American Civil War” by Gary W. Gallagher (University of Virginia)
• Essay: “The Failure of Compromise” by Bruce Levine (University of Illinois)
• Guided Readings: “Secession and the Civil War”
• Online Exhibition: “Timeline: Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861-1877”
• Spotlight on a Primary Source: “The Union is Dissolved!”