On December 9th, 1860, a gathering of South Carolinians declared themselves separated from the United States. The event itself was not especially dramatic or glorious. Yet it would herald a wave of revolution as fear, excitement, and greed overcame loyalty. It was at once John C. Calhoun’s grim revenge, and also the first stirrings of the downfall of everything he held dear. It was caused by the desire for slavery then and forever, and it would eventually prove its undoing.
