Final answer:
In the context of American history, a Confederacy refers to a group of states that joined together to form a separate government, separate from the United States. The Confederate States of America, consisting of eleven southern states, was primarily formed to protect the institution of slavery and the interests that reinforced it.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of the question is History. The question is asking for the definition of a group of confederates, especially of states more or less permanently.
In the context of American history, a Confederacy refers to a group of states that joined together to form a separate government, separate from the United States. The Confederacy that is commonly referred to is the Confederate States of America, which consisted of eleven southern states that seceded from the United States during the American Civil War.
In the Confederacy, each state retained some autonomy but united under a central government for certain purposes, such as defense. The Confederacy was primarily formed to protect the institution of slavery and the interests that reinforced it. The Confederate Constitution closely followed the United States Constitution but with key differences, such as explicitly protecting and promoting slavery.