On February 1, 1861, Texas declared its secession from the United States and joined the Confederacy. The move followed a statewide referendum and legislative action by the secession convention. It intensified the break between North and South over slavery, states’ rights, and federal power. Texas’ departure was part of the broader wave of southern states seceding in early 1861. The secession pushed the nation ever closer to civil war, which began later that year.
