Provisional Congress of the Confederate States

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Provisional Congress
of the
Confederate States
Flag of the Confederate States of America (1861-1863).svg
Type
Type
History
FoundedFebruary 4, 1861 (1861-02-04)
DisbandedFebruary 17, 1862 (1862-02-17)
Succeeded by Confederate States Congress
Leadership
President
Meeting place
Alabama Capitol NW 1886.jpg
Alabama State Capitol
Montgomery, Alabama
Confederate States of America
Virginia Capitol 1865.jpg
Virginia State Capitol
Richmond, Virginia
Confederate States of America
Constitution
Constitution for the Provisional Government
of the Confederate States

The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, fully the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America, was a unicameral congress of deputies and delegates called together from the Southern States which became the governing body of the Provisional Government of the Confederate States from February 4, 1861, to February 17, 1862. It sat in Montgomery, Alabama, until May 21, 1861, when it adjourned to meet in Richmond, Virginia, on July 20, 1861. In both cities, it met in the existing state capitols which it shared with the respective secessionist state legislatures. It added new members as other states seceded from the Union and directed the election on November 6, 1861, at which a permanent government was elected. [1]

Contents

First Session

The First Session of the Provisional Congress was held at Montgomery from February 4, 1861, to March 16, 1861. [2] Members were present from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, [3] and Texas. [4] It drafted a provisional constitution and set up a government. For president and vice president, it selected Jefferson Davis of Mississippi and Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia. [1]

Constitutional Convention

The Confederate States Constitutional Convention was held at Montgomery from February 28, 1861, to March 11, 1861. [2]

Second Session

The Second Session of the Provisional Congress was held at Montgomery from April 29, 1861, to May 21, 1861. [2] Members were present from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, [5] and Arkansas. [6]

Third Session

The Third Session of the Provisional Congress was held at Richmond from July 20, 1861, to August 31, 1861. [2] Members were present from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, [7] and Tennessee. [8]

Fourth Session

The Fourth Session of the Provisional Congress was held at Richmond on September 3, 1861. [2] Members were present from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

Fifth Session

The Fifth Session of the Provisional Congress was held at Richmond from November 18, 1861, to February 17, 1862. [2] Members were present from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, [9] and Kentucky. [10] One non-voting member was present from the Arizona Territory. [11]

Leadership

President

Members

Deputies

Deputies from the first seven states to secede formed the first two sessions of the Congress.

Alabama

Florida

Georgia

Louisiana

Mississippi

South Carolina

Texas

Delegates

Representatives from states to secede after the Battle of Fort Sumter were referred to as delegates, in contrast to the deputies from the original seven states.

Notes

  1. 1 2 Voorhees & Bok 1983 , p. 683
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, p. 5.
  3. S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, p. 7.
  4. S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, pp. 60, 92.
  5. S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, p. 193.
  6. S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, p. 244.
  7. S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, p. 271.
  8. S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, p. 337.
  9. S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, p. 510.
  10. S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, p. 574.
  11. S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, p. 701.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, pp. 12–13.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, p. 159.
  14. S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, pp. 13–14.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, p. 14.
  16. S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, pp. 22–23.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, pp. 14–15.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, p. 15.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, pp. 15–16.
  20. S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, pp. 53–54.
  21. S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, p. 64.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, p. 97.
  23. S. Doc. No. 234, 58th Cong., 2nd Sess. 1904, pp. 638–69.
  24. Thomas 1998 , p. 32

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{{Infobox officeholder | name = Edward Cary Walthall | image = Edward Cary Walthall.jpg | jr/sr = United States Senator | state = Mississippi | term_start = March 9, 1885 | term_end = January 24, 1894 | predecessor = Lucius Q. C. Lamar | successor = Anselm McLaurin | term_start2 = March 4, 1895 | term_end2 = April 21, 1898 | predecessor2 = [[Anselm J. McLaurin | successor2 = William V. Sullivan | party = Democratic | birth_date = April 4, 1831 | death_date = April 21, 1898 (aged 67) | birth_place = Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | death_place = Washington, D.C., U.S. | resting_place = Hillcrest Cemetery
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References

Further reading

New constituency Provisional Congress of the Confederate States
February 4, 1861 – February 17, 1862
Succeeded by