Guide Rankings Geography Updated June 3, 2026

Confederate States: All 11 States, Secession Dates, and the 13-Star Flag

The Virginia State Capitol building in Richmond, which served as the Confederate Capitol from May 1861 to April 1865, with the George Washington equestrian statue in the foreground

Confederate States: All 11 States, Secession Dates, and the 13-Star Flag

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The Virginia State Capitol in Richmond served as the seat of the Confederate government from May 29, 1861, until Union forces captured the city on April 3, 1865. Virginia was the eighth state to secede and the most strategically contested Confederate state — more Civil War battles were fought on Virginia soil than in any other state.

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Editorial Summary
  1. 1

    Eleven states formally seceded to form the Confederate States of America: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. South Carolina was the first to secede, on December 20, 1860.

  2. 2

    Kentucky and Missouri were represented by the 12th and 13th stars on the Confederate Battle Flag despite never formally seceding. Both states had Confederate-aligned provisional governments recognized by the Confederate Congress, which is why the CSA claimed 13 states.

  3. 3

    The original 7 states seceded before the Civil War began at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee — the Upper South — seceded in April through June 1861 after Lincoln called for 75,000 troops to suppress the rebellion.

Map

Confederate States Map

Confederate Status
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The 11 Confederate states formed a contiguous bloc across the South, from Virginia on the Atlantic coast to Texas on the western frontier. Kentucky and Missouri (lighter shading) had Confederate governments recognized by the CSA but never completed formal secession — both are represented by stars on the Confederate Battle Flag.
Confederate States Map
Rank State Confederate Status
1 South Carolina 3
2 Mississippi 3
3 Florida 3
4 Alabama 3
5 Georgia 3
6 Louisiana 3
7 Texas 3
8 Virginia 3
9 Arkansas 3
10 North Carolina 3
11 Tennessee 3
12 Kentucky 2
13 Missouri 2

The 11 Confederate states formed a contiguous bloc across the South, from Virginia on the Atlantic coast to Texas on the western frontier. Kentucky and Missouri (lighter shading) had Confederate governments recognized by the CSA but never completed formal secession — both are represented by stars on the Confederate Battle Flag.

Confederate States: All 11 States, Secession Dates, and the 13-Star Flag

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What States Were in the Confederacy?

Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, with the fort's brick walls and a U.S. flag flying above
Fort Sumter is where Confederate forces fired on the U.S. garrison on April 12, 1861, beginning the Civil War. South Carolina was the first state to secede, on December 20, 1860 — nearly four months before the war started.

Eleven states seceded from the United States between December 20, 1860 and June 8, 1861. The first seven — South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas — left before the Civil War began and formed the Confederate government in Montgomery, Alabama, on February 8, 1861. The next four — Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee — seceded in April through June 1861 after President Lincoln called for 75,000 troops to suppress the rebellion following the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter.

North Carolina supplied more Confederate soldiers than any other state — approximately 125,000. Tennessee was the site of more Civil War battles than any state outside Virginia, including Shiloh, Chickamauga, and Franklin. Texas (268,596 sq mi) was the largest Confederate state by area; Florida was the smallest by population at the time of secession, with approximately 140,000 residents.

Why Did the Confederate Flag Have 13 Stars?

The Confederate Battle Flag with 13 white stars arranged in a diagonal cross on a red background with blue borders
The Confederate Battle Flag has 13 stars — 11 for the seceding states plus Kentucky and Missouri, whose Confederate provisional governments were recognized by the Confederate Congress in November 1861. The flag was designed in 1861 to prevent confusion with the U.S. flag during battle.

The Confederate Battle Flag has 13 stars — one for each of the 11 formally seceding states plus Kentucky and Missouri. Both border states had Confederate-aligned provisional governments recognized by the Confederate Congress in late 1861: Kentucky was admitted on November 20, 1861, and Missouri on November 28, 1861. Neither state's full legislature passed a secession ordinance, but the Confederate government counted both as member states and added their stars to the flag.

The original Confederate national flag (the Stars and Bars) began with 7 stars in February 1861, grew to 9 after Virginia and Arkansas seceded, and reached its final count of 13 after Kentucky and Missouri were recognized. The Confederate Battle Flag — the square version used by the Army of Northern Virginia — was designed in 1861 with 13 stars arranged in a diagonal cross (the Southern Cross) to distinguish Confederate troops from Union forces during battle, when the first Confederate national flag was confused with the U.S. flag in the smoke.

Confederate Capital Cities

The Confederacy had two capitals. Montgomery, Alabama, served as the first Confederate capital from February 18, 1861 — when Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as Confederate President — until May 29, 1861, when the government relocated to Richmond, Virginia. The move was driven by Virginia's strategic importance: Virginia was the most populous Confederate state and its secession brought Robert E. Lee, the Confederacy's most capable general, into the Confederate ranks.

Richmond, Virginia, served as Confederate capital for the duration of the war, from May 29, 1861, until April 3, 1865, when Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant captured the city. The Confederate government fled south through Virginia and the Carolinas; Jefferson Davis was captured in Irwinville, Georgia, on May 10, 1865. The Virginia State Capitol, designed by Thomas Jefferson in 1786, served as the Confederate Capitol throughout the war.

Quick Answers

What states were in the Confederacy?
Eleven states formally seceded to form the Confederacy: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. South Carolina was first (December 20, 1860); Tennessee was last (June 8, 1861). Kentucky and Missouri had Confederate governments recognized by the CSA but never completed formal secession.
How many Confederate states were there?
There were 11 formally seceding Confederate states. The Confederate government claimed 13 states by including Kentucky and Missouri, whose Confederate-aligned provisional governments were recognized by the Confederate Congress in November 1861. The Confederate Battle Flag reflects this claim with 13 stars.
What was the first Confederate state?
South Carolina was the first Confederate state, seceding on December 20, 1860, by a convention vote of 169 to 0. Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor, is where Confederate forces fired the opening shots of the Civil War on April 12, 1861 — nearly four months after South Carolina's secession.
What was the last Confederate state?
Tennessee was the last of the 11 states to formally secede, on June 8, 1861, by a popular referendum of 104,913 to 47,238. East Tennessee voted against secession by a 2-to-1 margin but was overruled. Tennessee was admitted to the Confederacy on July 2, 1861.
Why did the Confederate flag have 13 stars?
The Confederate Battle Flag has 13 stars because the Confederacy counted 13 member states: the 11 that formally seceded, plus Kentucky and Missouri. Both states had Confederate provisional governments recognized by the Confederate Congress in November 1861 — Kentucky on November 20 and Missouri on November 28. Neither state's full legislature ever passed a secession ordinance.
What was the Confederate capital?
The Confederacy had two capitals. Montgomery, Alabama, was the first capital, from February 18 to May 29, 1861. Richmond, Virginia, became the permanent capital on May 29, 1861, and remained so until Union forces captured it on April 3, 1865. The Virginia State Capitol, designed by Thomas Jefferson, served as the Confederate Capitol.

Methodology

How we researched this list

Confederate state classification is based on formal secession ordinances passed by state conventions and ratified by the Confederate Congress. The 11 seceded states are historically uncontested. Kentucky and Missouri are included as star states — both held Confederate-aligned provisional governments recognized by the CSA, and both are represented by stars on the Confederate Battle Flag, giving it 13 stars total. confederate_score: 3 = formally seceded, 2 = star state with Confederate government but no completed secession.

Sources

Sources & references

  1. 1
    Library of Congress — Confederate States of America

    Primary sources on the Confederate States, including secession ordinances, the Confederate Constitution, and Civil War maps showing CSA territory

    https://www.loc.gov/collections/civil-war-maps/
  2. 2
    National Park Service — Civil War

    NPS documentation of Civil War battles, Confederate states, and secession chronology across all 11 seceding states

    https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/
  3. 3
    Encyclopaedia Britannica — Confederate States of America

    Britannica's authoritative entry on the Confederate States, covering secession order, the role of Kentucky and Missouri, and the Confederate government

    https://www.britannica.com/topic/Confederate-States-of-America

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