Texas and the Civil War: Secession Convention in Austin
historical marker
In Austin, Travis County, a historical marker stands, erected in 1965 by the State Historical Survey Committee. It commemorates 'Texas and the Civil War: Secession Convention.' In January 1861, as national tensions escalated, a convention of delegates gathered in Austin to consider secession from the United States. On February 1, 1861, these delegates voted to adopt an Ordinance of Secession. The vote was overwhelmingly in favor, with 166 delegates supporting secession and 8 opposing it. This decision was then put to a statewide popular vote on February 23, 1861, and Texans ratified the ordinance. Following this, on March 2, 1861, Texas officially joined the Confederate States of America. Governor Sam Houston, who had opposed secession, was later removed from office for refusing to swear an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy. This marker in Austin notes a pivotal moment when Texas formally chose its path into the Civil War.