The moment that led to the first state seceding from the union was the election of President Lincoln. All the Southern politicians were outraged that Lincoln had won the election. Lincoln got no votes from the Southern states to support his victory (US History). South Carolina was the first state to secede from the union. Once South Carolina seceded, many other Southern states soon followed with their own succession action (US History). The states that followed were: Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee (History Channel website). All of these seceding states created their own separate union, the Confederate States of America. The Confederates had a democratic government and elected Jefferson Davis as president (United States History). Being a new country, the Confederates were not very well off economically. Once Great Britain and France discover their secession, they decide to support the seceding states (United States History). All seceding states had the same reason they seceded: to maintain slavery. They realized that slavery was on its last legs in America. The only option they had to maintain slavery was to secede from the country