ThisDayin
JAN.-FEB. 1861
Southern Secession Picks Up Steam
After enduring a decade of ever-increasing sectional strife, on
Jan. 9, 1861, Mississippi becomes the second state to secede from
the United States of America by holding a state convention and
declaring itself a “free, sovereign, and independent State.” In
The United States
Feb. 1, 1861
doing so, it follows the lead of South Carolina that—having withdrawn from the Union in late December 1860—began the
exodus of the lower south. Florida joins the exiles on Jan. 10; the
following day, Alabama is very specific about its reasons for
severing any connection with the federal union, declaring that:
“ … the election of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin
to the offices of president and vice-president of the United States
of America, by a sectional party, avowedly hostile to the
domestic institutions and to the peace and security of the people
of the State of Alabama, preceded by many
and dangerous infractions of the constitution
of the United States by many of the States
and people of the Northern section, is a political wrong of so insulting and menacing a
character as to justify the people of the State
of Alabama in the adoption of prompt and
decided measures for their future peace and
security.”
The remaining states of the lower south
follow suit as Georgia leaves on Jan. 19,
Louisiana on Jan. 26, and Texas on Feb. 1.
Falsely believing that the North would
have little choice but to let the southern
states leave without recourse, each of these
state secession conventions is accompanied
by carnival-like atmospheres and celebrations. Eight other slave states, however,
refuse to act and choose a more cautious “wait-and-see”
approach. Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas
will eventually leave the union after war breaks out in
the spring. Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri
will choose to remain in the Union.
JAN. 8, 1918
Allies Reject Wilson’s
‘Fourteen Points’ Peace Plan
12 THE HISTORY CHANNEL MAGAZINE JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2011
STOCK MONTAGE / GETTY IMAGES
As World War I enters its final year, President Woodrow Wilson gives a speech defining
American war aims. In what becomes known as his Fourteen Points, Wilson advocates for
the freedom of the seas, free trade, the end to secret treaties, reductions in armaments, and a
process for mediating colonial claims that balances the interests of the colonized with those
of the colonizers. Finally, he calls for a “League of Nations” to provide collective security.
Although Wilson carries his vision of this new world order to the peace negotiations in
Versailles, France, the following year, his Fourteen Points are largely ignored by Allied
leaders set on punitive treatment of their defeated rivals. The League of Nations, however, is established—but back home Wilson is unable to persuade the U.S. Senate to approve
the treaty or join the League.
thehistorychannelclub.com
History
JAN / FEB
From the beginning of the end
to a treasonous plot, some
memories from our nation’s past.
By Kurt Kortenhof
JAN. 9, 1972
Bucks Dam
Lakers’ Streak
FEB. 19, 1807
Burr
Nabbed in
Treason
Plot
The Milwaukee Bucks defeat the Los Angeles
Lakers by a score of 120 to 104 and put an end to the
Lakers’ 33-game winning streak. Led by future hall-offamers Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, and Gail Goodrich, the Lakers had put together a consecutive-win
streak that spanned more than two months and continues to be the most impressive in all of professional
sports. The Bucks, who themselves had a 20-win streak
the previous year, are led by future Laker Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar who scored 39 points, collected 20
rebounds, blocked 10 shots, and dished out five assists.
With his political career in ruins,
former Vice President Aaron Burr
is arrested on charges of treason.
Previously, during the election of
1800, Burr runs as Thomas Jefferson’s vice presidential candidate
and receives the same number of
JAN. 18, 1803
VERNON BIEVER / GETTY IMAGES; JENNIFER THERMES /
GETTY IMAGES; THE GRANGER COLLECTION; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
$2,500 Lewis and Clark
Travel Budget Submitted
President Thomas Jefferson requests a congressional appropriation of $2,500 “for the purpose
of extending the external commerce of the United States.” Jefferson hopes to explore west of the
Mississippi River and establish connections
with Indian nations beyond the nation’s border.
Jefferson is fascinated with the mysteries of
the west and asks for reports on geology,
botany, geography, astronomy, zoology, and
climatology. Beginning in 1804 the Lewis and Clark Expedition covers 8,000 miles and
travels from St. Louis to the Pacific Northwest and back.
FEB. 27, 1860
Speech Confirms
Presidential Mettle
Presidential hopeful Abraham Lincoln addresses a capacity crowd
of 1,500 spectators at New York City’s Cooper Institute. He argues
that his study of 39 signers of the Constitution reveals that a majority opposed slavery’s extension into the territories—making the
then-current Republican stance time-honored and not radical.
The speech gives Lincoln significant headway in the home state
of Republican nomination contender William Seward.
thehistorychannelclub.com
electoral votes as Jefferson. Burr
refuses to stand down, and the
election goes to the House of
Representatives where Jefferson
is eventually elected. Burr further
tarnishes his reputation by shooting and fatally wounding Alexander Hamilton during a duel. The
treason charges—of which he is
eventually acquitted—stem from
a murky plot to establish an
independent republic west of
the Mississippi.
Visit history.com/tdih
to learn more about each
day’s historic events.
Kurt Kortenhof is a contributing writer for the magazine.
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2011 THE HISTORY CHANNEL MAGAZINE 13