The Election of Lincoln Leads to Secession

For some, the election of President Lincoln in 1860 was marked with celebration but for many southern states it was marked with the unprecedented act of secession.  Conventions were called first in S. Carolina, followed quickly by many other southern states to discuss leaving the Union.  By February 1861, seven states had voted to secede from the Union.  The newly formed Confederate States of America, chose Jefferson Davis as their president.  Though Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stevens remarked in a speech that the secession was about maintaining the superiority of whites above the negro race, many leading Confederates including Jefferson Davis claimed that their cause was about maintaining states' sovereignty.  As President Buchanan still had 4 months remaining in office, he did little to deal with the secession of southern states, but viewed it as an incident which happened in response to Lincoln's election and therefore an issue for Lincoln deal with.