The Confederate States of America was officially formed on February 4, 1861. By then seven states- South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas – had seceded from the Union. A provisional Constitution had been signed on February 8, followed by a permanent one, signed on March 11. Both were similar to the U.S. Constitution although there were crucial differences that reflected the divisions that had led to secession. Like the Articles of Confederation (used by Congress from around 1778 through 1787), there was a single-bodied Congress with each state having one vote. Congress chose the president and cabinet members served. Unlike the Articles, the president could veto laws, and there were other substantial differences. However, most historians see this constitution as having created a country too decentralized to be able to effectively carry forward a sustained war. Abraham Lincoln, they argue, took powers that were hidden within the U.S. Constitution – that no president had exercised before – to direct the course of the war and the nation to victory. Confederate President Jefferson Davis, on the other hand, often fought his congress and lost, depriving him of crucial power in the trying times he would face.
Greenfield Gazette and Courier. “The Traitor’s Confederacy.” March 18, 1861. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l02-121/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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