Final answer:
The main cause for the southern states' secession was the threat to the institution of slavery, following the election of Abraham Lincoln. They were driven by the ideology of states' rights and white supremacy, and believed secession was their legal right. The failure of the federal government to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act and the political power imbalance were also significant factors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Main Reasons for Southern Secession, The primary reason that southern states began to secede from the Union was the election of Abraham Lincoln and the perceived threat to the institution of slavery. Southern states, starting with South Carolina, quickly called conventions to declare secession, with Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas soon following.
These states believed in the legal right to secede and were primarily motivated to preserve their states' rights and the right to own slaves as property. They also used the ideology of white supremacy to encourage support for secession. The existence of slavery was central to the identity of the Confederacy, as articulated in Mississippi's statement of secession, which proclaimed that slavery was the 'greatest material interest of the world'.
Additional factors such as political power imbalance, failure of the federal government to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act, and a fear among Southerners of being reduced to the level of a slave reinforced their decision to secede.
Southerners championed states' rights, arguing that the federal government should not infringe upon their right to property, which included slaves. Religion also played a role in shaping Confederate nationalism, with many Southerners believing that forming the Confederacy was God's will.