Eleanor Finch
The Confederate Constitution was drafted by a temporary single-house legislature called the Provisional Congress, which was established by southern states as they began to withdraw from the Union in 1861. The Confederate Congress met for the first time on February 18, 1862, at the Virginia state capitol in Richmond. The Confederate Constitution was approved on March 11, 1861, just a week after Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States. The document closely resembled the U.S. Constitution, providing for a legislature consisting of a house and senate, but with notable differences concerning slavery.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of creation | November 15, 1777 |
| Date of enforcement | March 1, 1781 |
| Confederacy name | The United States of America |
| Type of government | A league of friendship for 13 sovereign and independent states |
| States that formed the Confederacy | South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas |
| Location of the first meeting of the Confederate Congress | Virginia state capitol in Richmond |
| Date of the first meeting of the Confederate Congress | February 18, 1862 |
| Number of sessions held by the Confederate Congress during the Civil War | Six |
| Number of states that seceded at the time of the Confederate Constitution's approval | Seven |
| Number of states that officially seceded and joined the Confederacy | 11 |
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What You'll Learn
The Confederate Constitution was approved in March 1861
The Confederate Constitution was approved on March 11, 1861, just a week after Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States. The Confederate Constitution was drafted by a temporary single-house legislature, known as the Provisional Congress, established by the southern states as they began to withdraw from the Union. The Confederate Constitution closely resembled the U.S. Constitution, providing for a legislature consisting of a house and senate, with similar methods of election, terms of office, standing committees, rules of procedure, and legislative powers. However, there were several key differences related to slavery.
Firstly, the Confederate Constitution used the word "slaves," unlike the U.S. Constitution, which used the term "persons held to service or labour." It explicitly stated that slavery was to be legally protected in the territories, and it required that any new territory acquired by the nation allow slavery. The Confederate Constitution also included a clause guaranteeing the right of property in slaves, and it prohibited any Confederate state from making slavery illegal. Additionally, it ensured that enslavers could travel between Confederate states with their slaves.
Another difference was that the Confederate Congress could not propose amendments; instead, this role was reserved for the states. The Confederate Constitution also clarified an ambiguity in the U.S. Constitution's Article V, declaring that a national convention could propose only amendments suggested by state conventions. Furthermore, the Confederate Constitution omitted the phrase "emit Bills of Credit" from Article 1 Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution, which denied states the right to issue such bills.
The Confederate Constitution was approved as the Confederacy was formed in February 1861 by seven southern states: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. These states had seceded from the Union due to concerns that their slavery-dependent plantation economies were threatened by Lincoln's election. Four more slave states would later secede and join the Confederacy, bringing the total to eleven. The Civil War began in April 1861 when Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina.
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The Confederate Congress met for the first time in February 1862
The Confederate Congress met for the first time on February 18, 1862, at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond. This was after the Confederacy was formed on February 8, 1861, by seven southern states: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. These states adopted a new constitution, establishing a confederation government of "sovereign and independent states". The Confederate Constitution was drawn up and approved just a week after Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States on March 4, 1861.
The Confederate Congress operated similarly to the United States Congress, but it could not propose amendments. That role was reserved for the states. The Confederate Constitution included a Bill of Rights, which incorporated most of the rights in the U.S. Constitution's original Bill of Rights. One additional right stated that the government couldn't impair "the right of property in negro slaves". The Confederate Constitution also included several passages related to slavery that differed from the U.S. Constitution. For example, it banned any Confederate state from making slavery illegal and ensured that enslavers could travel between Confederate states with their slaves.
The Confederate Congress met for six sessions during the Civil War, which began in April 1861 when South Carolina's militia attacked Fort Sumter. The Confederate Congress's House of Representatives met in the ornate chamber formerly used by the Provisional Congress, while the smaller Senate met in a dingy room upstairs. The Confederate Senate held many of its sessions in secret, and today, little is known about its operations due to the loss of extensive records during the war.
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The Confederate Constitution was modelled on the US Constitution
The Confederate Constitution was the supreme law of the Confederate States of America. It superseded the Provisional Constitution in 1862 and remained in effect until the end of the American Civil War in 1865. The Confederate Constitution was modelled on the US Constitution, with several notable differences.
The Confederate Constitution was drafted and approved on March 11, 1861, just a week after Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States. At the time, seven southern states had seceded, and a total of 11 would eventually join the Confederacy. The document was created by delegates from these newly formed Confederate States of America.
Much of the Confederate Constitution was directly copied from the US Constitution. The preambles of both constitutions shared similarities, and the Confederate version included a Bill of Rights, similar to the US Constitution. The Confederate Congress also operated in a very similar fashion to the US Congress, with senators and representatives following similar rules.
However, there were significant differences between the two constitutions, mainly regarding slavery and states' rights. The Confederate Constitution explicitly mentioned "slaves," while the US Constitution did not. It banned any Confederate state from abolishing slavery and allowed slaveowners to travel between Confederate states with their slaves. Additionally, it required that any new territory acquired by the Confederacy allow slavery. The Confederate Constitution also gave states the power to impeach federal officials, collect taxes, and make treaties with each other under certain conditions.
The Confederate Supreme Court system was modelled on the US Supreme Court, but it never came into being due to the instability of the Confederate government during the Civil War. The Confederate Constitution also limited the president to a single six-year term, with no term limits for the vice president.
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The Confederate Constitution included a Bill of Rights
The Confederate Constitution was drawn up and approved in March 1861, just a week after Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States. Seven southern states had seceded at the time, and 11 would eventually secede and officially join the Confederacy. The Confederate Constitution was largely based on the US Constitution, but it included several notable differences, particularly concerning slavery.
The Confederate Constitution also included provisions that granted additional rights to the states of the Confederacy. For example, the states had the right to impeach federal judges and other federal officers if they worked or lived solely in their state. The Confederate Constitution also omitted the phrase "emit Bills of Credit" from Article 1 Section 10 of the US Constitution, which denied the states the right to issue such bills of credit.
The Confederate Constitution was created at a time when the issue of slavery was a significant source of tension between the North and the South. While the Confederate Constitution did include a Bill of Rights, it is important to note that it was primarily designed to protect the interests of slave owners and perpetuate the institution of slavery.
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The Confederate Constitution addressed the issue of slavery
The Confederate Constitution was adopted on March 11, 1861, in Montgomery, Alabama, a month before the Civil War started. It superseded the Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States, the Confederate State's first constitution, in 1862. It remained in effect until the end of the American Civil War in 1865.
The Confederate Constitution explicitly addressed the issue of slavery. It included passages related to slavery that differed from the U.S. Constitution. For example, it used the word "slaves," which the U.S. Constitution did not, and included a ban on any Confederate state from making slavery illegal. It also ensured that enslavers could travel between Confederate states with their slaves and accounted for enslaved people as three-fifths of a state's population.
The Confederate Constitution also addressed the question of slavery in the territories, stating that slavery would be legally protected in any new territory acquired by the nation. It required that "the institution of negro slavery as it now exists in the Confederate States, shall be recognized and protected by Congress, and by the territorial government."
Additionally, the Confederate Constitution included a Bill of Rights, which stated that the government couldn't impair "the right of property in negro slaves" to owners. This was in line with the U.S. Constitution's original Bill of Rights, which the Confederate Constitution largely mirrored.
The Confederate Constitution also included provisions related to the importation of slaves. It forbade the importation of "negroes of the African race" from any foreign country other than the slaveholding states or territories of the United States of America. It also gave Congress the power to prohibit the introduction of slaves from any state or territory not belonging to the Confederacy.
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Frequently asked questions
The Confederate Congress met for the first time on February 18, 1862, at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond.
The Confederate Constitution was a document drawn up and approved after Abraham Lincoln became President of the United States. It closely resembled the U.S. Constitution but included several passages related to slavery.
The Confederate Constitution included a Bill of Rights, which stated that the government couldn't impair "the right of property in negro slaves". It also clarified an ambiguity in the U.S. Constitution's Article V, by stating that a national convention could only propose amendments suggested by state conventions.
The Confederate Constitution established a confederation government of "sovereign and independent states". It was formed by 11 southern states that believed their slavery-dependent economies were threatened by Lincoln's presidency.
