Mississippi Secession Convention Explained

The Mississippi Secession Convention was held in Mississippi and established its withdrawal from the United States after the election of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln in order to become part of the Confederate States seeking to preserve slavery. The convention was held January 7 - January 26, 1861.^[1] On January 9, 1861, Mississippi seceded from the United States, the second state to do so. Conventioneers reported: "Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery - the greatest material interest of the world."^{[2] [3]} The convention was held in the Mississippi House of Representatives building in the state capitol, Jackson, Mississippi.^[4]

J. L. Power was the convention reporter. Power & Cadwallader printed an account of the proceedings.^[1] The New York Times reported on the convention's plans to secede.^[5]

The Mississippi Secession Ordinance was signed January 15, 1861.^[6]

Timothy B. Smith wrote a book published in 2014 on the convention.^{[7] [8]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: Mississippi. Convention (1861). Proceedings of the Mississippi State Convention, Held January 7th to 26th, A. D. 1861. Including the Ordinances, as Finally Adopted, Important Speeches, and a List of Members, Showing the Postoffice, Profession, Nativity, Politics, Age, Religious Preference, and Social Relations of Each.. docsouth.unc.edu.
2. Journal of the State Convention and Ordinances and Resolutions adopted in January 1861 . 1861 . 26 July 2023.
3. Web site: Mississippi: A Thread Through Time | Secession | PBS . .
4. Web site: Mississippi Secession (U.S. National Park Service). www.nps.gov.
5. News: THE MISSISSIPPI CONVENTION.; THE STATE TO SECEDE IMMEDIATELY.. The New York Times . January 9, 1861. NYTimes.com.
6. Web site: 74386-1.tif - Ordinance of Secession, 1861. MS Digital Archives.
7. Reviewed work: The Mississippi Secession Convention: Delegates and Deliberations in Politics and War, 1861-1865, Smith Timothy B . 26468065 . Semmes . Ryan P. . The Mississippi Quarterly . 2016 . 69 . 1 . 129–131 . 10.1353/mss.2016.0030 . 158943214 .
8. Book: The Mississippi Secession Convention. www.upress.state.ms.us.