Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America (IPA: /kənˈfɛdərɪt ˈsteɪts əv ˈæmərɪkə/), commonly referred to as the Confederacy, was an unrecognized breakaway state that existed from 1861 to 1865 and was originally formed by seven secessionist slave-holding states – South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas – in the Lower South region of the United States, whose economy was heavily dependent upon agriculture, particularly cotton, and a plantation system that relied upon the labor of African-American slaves.

Etymology

The term "Confederate" comes from the Latin word "confederatus", which means "united in a league", reflecting the states' attempt to create a political entity separate from the United States. The term "States" refers to the individual political entities that joined the Confederacy, and "America" refers to the continent where these states are located.

Related Terms

American Civil War: The war fought from 1861 to 1865 between the Northern states (the Union) and the Southern states that seceded to form the Confederate States of America.
Secession: The act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. The Confederate States of America was formed by states that seceded from the United States.
Slavery: The state of being a slave. The Confederate States of America was formed by states where slavery was legal and integral to their economy.
Abraham Lincoln: The 16th President of the United States who led the country during the American Civil War. His Emancipation Proclamation in 1862 declared slaves in Confederate-held territory to be free.
Jefferson Davis: The President of the Confederate States of America during its existence from 1861 to 1865.