I don't believe anyone has mentioned Dan Crofts' fine book "Reluctant
Confederates: Upper South Unionists in the Secession Crisis" (University of
North Carolina Press, 1989), which obviously is relevant to this discussion.
He gives a detailed chronology of events in Virginia and Richmond.
The crisis at Sumter, the course of various peace negotiations, the presence
of pro-secession militias and demonstrations in the capital, and and
Lincoln's mobilization of troops were a few of the many factors.
Gregg Kimball
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2002 9:33 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The Vote to secede
In a message dated 2/6/2002 8:01:26 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
> Scarcely anybody doubts that a
> substantial portion (probably a large majority) of the people who voted in
> February 1861 for members of the Convention of 1861 were at that time
> opposed to secession. When the question of secession came to a vote on 4
> April 1861 a majority of the convention delegates voted it down. Only two
> weeks later a majority of the same delegates voted in favor.
>
> So what does that tell us? That opinions changed as circumstances changed.
The dates and actions were paralleled in North Carolina where the voters
voted against a secession convention in February. Following the attaempt to
reinforce Fort Sumter (and successfully Fort Pickens), sentiment seems to
have changed rapidly. By May 20, a state convention called by the
legislature
unanimously voted to secede
It is interesting to speculate what might have happened had Lincoln not
moved
on the issue of the two forts and merely held his ground politically.
Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia did not secede until after
Fort Sumter and those states had substantial sentiment to stay in the Union.
Bill Russell
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