Confederate States of America

Occurrence

The first meeting of supporters of secession took place on November 22, 1860 in the city of Abbeville (South Carolina) . The Confederate States of America were formed on February 4, 1861 by the six southern states ( South Carolina , Mississippi , Florida , Alabama , Georgia and Louisiana ) after the results of the election of the President of the United States , which was announced by a representative of the Northerners, were approved. condemnation, restriction and prohibition of the spread of slavery to new territories, which was the basis of the economy of the southern states).

The six southern states and Texas joining them on March 2 announced their withdrawal from the United States and the return to state authorities of the powers delegated by the 1787 Constitution to the federal government. Among other things, these powers included the control of military fortifications (forts), ports and customs located on the territory of the states, and the collection of taxes and duties.

A month after the formation of the CSA, on March 4, the 16th President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, took the oath. In his inaugural speech, he called secession "legally null and void" and announced that the United States is not going to invade the territory of the southern states, but is ready to use force to maintain its control over federal property and tax collection.

On April 12, 1861, the troops of the state of South Carolina under the command of General Pierre G. T. Beauregard bombed federal Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, forcing its garrison to surrender. The battle for Fort Sumter marked the beginning of the Civil War.

After the bombing of Sumter, Lincoln called on the states remaining in the Union to provide him with soldiers to restore control of Sumter and the rest of the southern forts, protect the federal capital and preserve the Union. In response to the presidential appeal , four more southern states ( Virginia , Arkansas , Tennessee and North Carolina ) announced their withdrawal from the United States and joining the Confederation.

The states of Kentucky and Missouri remained "border states" as part of the United States, but for a while there were two governments each, one of which supported the Union, the other the Confederation. The pro-federative governments of these states included the territories under their control in the Confederation, and this makes it possible to consider 13 states as members of the CSA. Of the territories that did not have the rights of the states, Arizona and New Mexico filed applications for joining the CSA. Also, the Confederate States were supported by five "civilized" tribes from Indian territory - Cherokee , Choctaw , Chikasso , screams , seminoles .

Not all US slave states joined the Confederation; the states of Maryland and Delaware did not.

Termination of existence

After four years of the Civil War, the commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, General Robert Lee, on April 9, 1865, in Appomattox , Virginia , capitulated to the commander-in-chief of the Union army, General Ulysses S. Grant . A few days before, the CSA government left Richmond and moved to the town of Danville , Virginia . But on April 10, members of the government were forced to leave him too. In fact, this day the Confederate States of America ceased to exist. Ironically, the last meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Jefferson Davis, dated May 2, 1865, was held at the same place where the first meeting of the advocates of secession took place - in Ebbieville (South Carolina) . Former Confederate President Jefferson Davis was detained on May 10 and spent more than a year in prison. (He was later accused of treason , but the guilt was never proven). From April to June, the rest of the armies of the Confederation capitulated. Last, on November 6, 1865, the ship Shenandoah lowered the flag.

The southern states were waiting for a long and difficult period of " Reconstruction " and return to the United States. The condition for the return was the adoption of completely new state constitutions prohibiting slavery and the ratification of the corresponding amendment to the US Constitution. The first was taken back Tennessee ( June 24, 1866 ), and the last - Georgia ( July 15, 1870 ).

Geographical position

The northern border of the Confederate States of America passed through the northern borders of Virginia , Kentucky (actually - Tennessee ), Missouri (actually - Arkansas ), Indian territory , New Mexico territory, the western - along the western border of New Mexico and Arizona . The southern border was the former border of the United States with Mexico . In the east, the Confederation was limited to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean .

The country had a total area (excluding Kentucky and Missouri) of 1,995,392 km² and a coastline of 4,698 kilometers.

The main part of the territory of the Confederate States of America lay in a humid subtropical climate with mild winters and long, hot, rainy summers.

The population of the states of the Confederation in 1860 was 9,103,332 people (including 3 million slaves) and mostly lived in rural areas. Of the southern cities, only the Louisiana New Orleans with a population of 168,675 people (census 1860 ) was among the ten largest cities in the United States.

In peacetime, the river system of the southern states was a great advantage, providing cheap and simple transport routes for agricultural products. The railway network was built as an auxiliary tool linking remote plantations with river and sea ports. This feature of the transport system of the South will play a cruel joke with the Confederation - when all major navigable rivers are under Union control, and the railways are rendered unusable, the movement of Confederation troops will become very difficult.

Economic status

The economy of the southern states had an agricultural orientation, and relied on large slave-owning plantations. The main products produced in the South were cotton , rice , tobacco , sugarcane and grain .

The volume of industrial goods produced by the southern states was only 10% of the total US industrial production, and military goods - only 3%.

In 1860, the states of the future Confederation produced products for 155 million US dollars . If they were an independent state at that time, they would have taken fourth place in the world in terms of wealth.

In US exports, the share of the southern states was 70%. The leading export commodity was cotton. Later, the Confederation will try to use its almost monopolistic position on the cotton market as an instrument of pressure on European states (especially the UK and France ) in the matter of recognizing their independence.

For example, in 1860, the bulk of cotton imported for the needs of the English textile industry, the flagship of the industrial revolution , entered the country through the port of Liverpool . More than 80% of the raw materials came from the southern US states. The leaders of the Confederation, in order to put pressure on the UK, imposed a ban on the export of cotton. Prices immediately jumped more than 4 times - from 6 to 27 a penny per pound of cotton. At the same time, imports also fell sharply - if in 1860 2.6 million bales of cotton were imported into the country, then in 1862 - less than 72 thousand ^{[2] : 109} .

By the end of 1862, weavers in England fired about half of their workers, and a quarter of the county’s population survived solely on welfare benefits. Unemployment, malnutrition and riots swept the north of England ^{[2] : 110} .

Against this background, so-called “ cotton bonds ” were issued. The main thing that attracted attention in these pound bonds with a 7 percent coupon and a maturity of 20 years was the possibility of exchanging them for cotton at a pre-war price of 6 pence per pound. Despite the series of failures of the Southerner's army, bonds maintained a high rate almost until the very end of the conflict: the growing need of the economy for cotton during the war years led to its appreciation. Confederate troops lost the battle of Gettysburg and Vicksburg , but the cotton went up, and the bonds followed after him: from December 1863 to September 1864 their price doubled ^[3] . Even the country's political elite could not resist the temptation: among the buyers were future Prime Minister William Gladstone and the editor-in-chief of TIMES , John Delayne ^{[2] : 110} .

The loss of New Orleans at the end of April 1862 was a blow to the economic system of the Confederation. The main port of the southerners was in the hands of the enemy, and now, for the sake of cotton, the investor had to break the sea blockade, twice on the way back and forth. This led to a decrease in the flow of foreign loans ^{[2] : 110–112} .

The reduction in foreign loans forced the Confederation government to start issuing unsecured paper money. The total amount of issue during the war amounted to about 1.7 billion dollars. By the end of the war, the Confederation dollar was worth 1 cent in gold equivalent versus 50 cents per dollar of northerners. Hyperinflation also increased due to the right of local authorities to issue their money. Uncomplicated in execution, the notes of the South also became easy prey for counterfeiters. During the years of the Civil War, prices in the South rose by an average of 4,000%, and in the North — by only 60% ^[4] .

During the war, cotton production fell from 4.5 million bales (500 pounds each) to 0.3 million. The best lands were redeveloped for food production or left neglected. State legislatures have passed decrees encouraging the production of grain and other food products. The food shortage that arose in the armies and cities of the Confederation, was mainly caused not by a drop in production, but by the destruction of the transport and monetary systems.

The question of fair taxes has become one of the cornerstones of the secession of the South. For many years, Southerners were unhappy with protectionist tax rates set by the federal government in favor of the North and extortionate import duties. The Constitution of the Confederate States explicitly prohibited the government from imposing taxes on one branch to the detriment of another. The duty on goods imported from outside the Confederation and the United States was set at 10%, and for imported goods from the United States - several times more. But in practice, these duties are almost not collected.

The currency of the Confederate States of America has become the Confederation ’s own dollar . Almost all bank stocks of gold and silver were collected in the treasury of the Confederation and at the beginning of the war went to Europe to pay for military supplies.

The issuance of paper money on behalf of the Confederation was administered by state authorities. The central government had the right to issue only coins, but the lack of precious metals led to the fact that the coins were almost not issued.

Government and state symbols

The Constitution of the Confederate States of America, adopted on March 11, 1861, largely repeated the provisions of the US Constitution of 1787 and the Articles of Confederation and the Eternal Union of 1777 , but severely limited the power of the central government and explicitly defended the institution of slavery.

The constitution reflected all the grievances that southern states had against the US federal government. Thus, the Confederation government was forbidden to establish protectionist tariffs and use the money collected in one state to develop the infrastructure of another state.

The first 10 amendments to the US Constitution, known as the " Bill of Rights " became an integral part of the Constitution of the Confederation. The president received veto power over some state legislature decisions. In turn, state legislatures were entitled in some cases to conduct an impeachment procedure against members of the central government.

But the most notable difference of the Confederation Constitution from the US Constitution was the attitude towards slavery. The KSA Congress was expressly forbidden to enact laws restricting the spread of slavery, confiscating slaves, or in any way harming the property of slave owners.

The creators of the Constitution were afraid that the absence of a direct ban on international slave trade would adversely affect the international position of the Confederation, and at the same time they wanted to win over slave states remaining in the Union, therefore the importation of slaves from outside the United States was prohibited and the slave trade between the Confederation and Union.

Executive power was headed by a president elected for one six-year term. The first and only president of the Confederate States of America was a politician from Mississippi Jefferson Davis , vice president Alexander Stephens . The Foreign Ministry was headed by the State Secretary of the CSA .

Legislative power, as in the United States, was represented by the Congress, which consisted of two chambers - the Senate and the House of Representatives. The state legislature sent two people to the Senate, and the House of Representatives was formed on a proportional basis by a vote of state citizens.

Formally, the judiciary in the Confederation was represented by the Supreme Court, but due to the difficulties of wartime it was never formed. Local and state courts continued to work normally, but recognizing the government of the Confederate States of America, rather than the United States, to the national government.

The capital of the Confederation was successively visited: Montgomery , Alabama ( February 4 - May 29, 1861), Richmond ( May 29, 1861 - April 3, 1865) and Danville, Virginia ( April 3 - April 10, 1865).

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  Battle Flag of the Confederation (Northern Virginia Army)

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  Battle Flag of the Confederation (Tennessee Army)

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  Confederate Naval Flag

The official flag of the Confederate States of America, known as "Stars and Stripes", had seven stars, in honor of seven states, the first to become members of the Confederation. But in the smoke of the battle, it was difficult to distinguish it from the flag of the United States, so the battle flag of the Confederation, called the Southern Cross, was created. It consists of 13 white stars inscribed in a blue diagonal cross on a red background. Each star is a Confederate state, including Kentucky and Missouri. The whole team battle square was square with a side of 48 inches for infantry, 36 for artillery and 30 for cavalry.

The well-known rectangular flag with a cross and stars was coined by the South Carolinian William Porcher Miles and was conceived as a national flag, but the Confederation government rejected this project. The flag was used in the navy as a guis , as well as the battle flag of the Army of Tennessee . The cross used by Miles is often called the St. Andrew’s , but the author of the flag himself never called him that, and it remains unclear what meaning he put into this symbol.

The Confederate States of America did not have an official anthem, but the unofficial hymn was the song “ Dixie ”, written in the late 1850s by Ohio- born Daniel Decatur Emmett and equally popular in both the North and the South.

Executive power

Armed Forces

Вооружённые силы Конфедеративных Штатов Америки состояли из армии , флота и корпуса морской пехоты . Офицерский состав вооружённых сил включал в себя как ветеранов и служащих армии и флота США, по всем правилам подавших в отставку и вступивших в ряды южной армии, так и непрофессиональных военных, ранее имевших вполне мирные профессии (например, генерал Леонидас Полк до войны был священником). Многие военные имели опыт участия в войнах с Мексикой ( Пьер Борегар , Томас Дж. «Каменная стена» Джексон , Роберт Э. Ли , Ричард Эвэлл ) и индейцами ( Джеб Стюарт ). Большинство будущих героев Конфедерации никогда не занимались плантационным хозяйством и не владели рабами .

Армия Конфедерации фактически включала в себя три части: регулярную (профессиональную) армию (запланированная численность которой, в 15 тысяч человек, никогда не была достигнута), временную (добровольно-наёмную) армию и гражданское ополчение штатов (суммарная численность двух последних частей составляла около 1,5 миллионов).

У армии Конфедерации не было формального главнокомандующего. Стратегическое управление армией осуществлял президент Дэвис, сам бывший профессиональный военный, а управление воинскими операциями возлагалось на его военных советников. Только 23 января 1865 года, за несколько месяцев до крушения, у армии Конфедерации появился главнокомандующий — генерал Роберт Ли .

Армия Конфедеративных Штатов Америки подразделялась на несколько армий, которые формировались, переименовывались и расформировывались по мере необходимости, в ответ на угрозы, представляемые Союзом в данный момент. Эти армии получали свои названия в честь штатов или географических регионов (в Союзе обычно — в честь рек). Во главе армий становились генералы (всего в Конфедерации их было восемь), или генерал-лейтенанты . Главными армиями Конфедеративных Штатов Америки были Северовирджинская армия и Теннессийская армия , на плечи которых легла основная тяжесть боёв на Восточном и Западном театре военных действий соответственно.

Военно-морской флот Конфедерации был создан «с нуля» указом Конгресса 21 февраля 1861 года. Задачи, поставленные перед флотом, — защита береговой линии, прорыв союзной блокады южных портов и нарушение морской торговли Севера. На момент начала войны на Юге было всего две верфи, поэтому часть кораблей для флота была заказана в Европе , преимущественно — в Великобритании. Самого большого успеха флот Конфедерации достиг в рейдерских операциях против торгового флота США.

Корпус морской пехоты предназначался для специальных операций против береговых укреплений армии Союза. Численность корпуса была очень небольшой, но морские пехотинцы находились в экипажах всех главных военных кораблей Конфедерации.

Рядовой состав вооружённых сил Конфедерации набирался из добровольцев, белых мужчин в возрасте от 16 до 28 лет. В 1862 году правительство попыталось ввести воинскую повинность, но это решение встретило сильную оппозицию.

Непомерные человеческие потери вынудили Конгресс Конфедерации принять решение о снижении возраста солдат до 12 лет и формировании «чёрных» отрядов, в которые набирались рабы в обмен на обещание свободы по окончании службы.

Военачальники

Внешнеполитический статус

Признание независимости Конфедерации европейскими государствами было главной целью внешнеполитического ведомства КША, возглавляемого Джудой Бенджамином .

Конфедерация отправила в Европу нескольких своих агентов, которые проводили неофициальные переговоры о признании. Особенно Конфедерацию интересовала позиция Великобритании и Франции, официально не объявивших о своём отношении к Конфедерации (остальные державы объявили либо о своём нейтралитете, либо о поддержке США), но выказывавших своё проюжное настроение.

12 мая 1861 года Великобритания признала Север и Юг «воюющими сторонами», чем дала Конфедерации определённую свободу действий за рубежом и позволила ей надеяться на скорое признание.

Очень близко к признанию Конфедерации Великобритания подошла в декабре 1861 года, после так называемого «Дела „Трента“» — задержания союзным военным кораблём британского почтового судна и ареста на его борту двух представителей Конфедерации. Британское правительство подготовило очень жёсткое послание правительству США, в котором обвинило его в нарушении морских законов и нейтралитета и открыто встало на сторону Юга. Только вмешательство принца Альберта , мужа королевы Виктории , не позволило дать ход этому посланию.

В мае 1861 года брат принца Альберта, Эрнст II , герцог Саксен-Кобург-Готский, отправил на Юг Эрнста Рэйвена, которому дал полномочия консула при правительстве Конфедерации. 30 июля Рэйвен получил экзекватуру и герцогство Саксен-Кобург-Готское стало первым (и единственным) государством, установившим дипломатические отношения с КША.

После Второго сражения при Манассасе (июль 1862 года) Великобритания и Франция предложили свои посреднические услуги в переговорах Конфедерации и Союза, но Север отказал в этом. После Энтиетемского сражения и прокламации Авраама Линкольна об освобождении рабов (сентябрь 1862 года), когда война с Югом приобрела в глазах Европы характер войны за искоренение рабства, разговоры о признании рабовладельческого государства в Европе смолкли. Этим актом в политическом плане Север навсегда выиграл гражданскую войну, хотя для военной победы над Югом северянам понадобилось ещё много времени, сил и жертв.

• Доллар Конфедерации
• КША: Конфедеративные Штаты Америки
• Республика Новая Африка
• Конфедерадос
• Объедененные ветераны Конфедерации

• Конституция Конфедеративных Штатов Америки и другие документы по истории Северной Америки в XIX в. (рус.) (англ.)
• Confederate States of Am. Army and Navy Uniforms (англ.) , 1861
• The Countryman , 1862—1866 , еженедельник из Тёрнволда, штат Джорджия, издававшийся во время войны
• The Federal and the Confederate Constitution Compared (англ.)
• The Making of the Confederate Constitution, by AL Hull , 1905. (англ.)
• Official Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Louisiana , November, 1861
• Photographic History of the Civil War , 10 vols., 1912. (англ.)
• DocSouth: Documenting the American South (англ.) — огромная коллекция текстовых, иллюстративных и аудио материалов по истории Юга во время войны.
• Confederate States of America: Heads of State: 1861—1865 (англ.)