Southern Confederacy

The Southern Confederacy, or the Confederate States of America, was a group of eleven southern states that seceded from the United States between 1860 and 1861, mainly over the issues of states' rights and slavery. They formed their own government to preserve their way of life, especially the institution of slavery. This led to the Civil War (1861-1865), as the Union sought to reunify the country and abolish slavery. The Confederacy ultimately surrendered in 1865, and the southern states rejoined the United States.