7 Chronology of emancipation and the American Civil War, 1860–65

Dec. South Carolina (where almost half the families own slaves) secedes from the Union; as the break-up of the Union approaches, there are 3,950,546 slaves in the United States.

1861 Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana (in each of which almost a third of families own slaves) and Mississippi (where almost half the families own slaves) secede from the Union.