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Texas Votes on
Secession: 1861
Late February 1861. The Texas legislature has
voted to become the 7th state to secede from the Union and join the Confederate States of America and the vote has now been
given to the people. Fort Sumner has not yet been fired on, but the Alamo has been surrendered by General Twiggs to Texas
forces.
After the election in 1860, Texas as a whole was ready to leave the union. The
Texas secession convention met late January 1861 and voted on the ordinance of secession on February 1 with a vote of 166
for to 8 against The secession question was then put to the general public as a referendum. However, before the public elections
could take place, the Committee on Public Safety seized all federal property in Texas and ordered the evacuation of federal
troops in the state. In addition the secession convention sent delegates to Montgomery, Alabama to help establish the Confederate
States of America.
Several prominent men in the state, including Governor Houston, opposed secession.
The general population was also divided; several factors contributed to the differing opinions. Merchants along the Gulf Coast
were afraid their business with England and New York would be adversely affected by secession. Some Germans felt it better
to go along with the Americans than to again face the nativist conflicts of the 1850s. Frontier counties’ votes on secession
reflected whether they were well protected by Federal army garrisons or not.
Late February offers the possibility for several
activities and impressions dealing with secession as well as the anniversary of Texas independence.
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