Provisional Confederate States Constitution
| Constitution for the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America |
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|---|---|
| Created | February 5–8, 1861 |
| Date effective | February 8, 1861 |
| Location | American Civil War Museum |
| Author(s) | Christopher Memminger et al. |
| Signatories | 50 deputies to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States |
| Purpose | Provisional constitution for the Confederate States; replaced by the permanent Confederate States Constitution on February 22, 1862 |
The Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States, formally the Constitution for the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America, was an agreement among all seven original states in the Confederate States of America that served as its first constitution. Its drafting by a committee of twelve appointed by the Provisional Congress began on February 5, 1861. The Provisional Constitution was formally adopted on February 8. Government under this constitution was superseded by a new constitution and permanent form of government "organized on the principles of the United States" on February 22, 1862.
On February 4, 1861, in Montgomery, Alabama, deputies to a "Congress of the Sovereign and Independent States of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana" met to set about creating a new form of government based on that of the United States of America. Their efforts resulted in, among other achievements, the drafting of a provisional constitution for what came to be known as the Confederate States of America. Before the congress could accomplish anything, it required a set of guidelines to follow. On February 5, Christopher Memminger proposed a committee of thirteen be created for the purpose of drafting a provisional constitution in order to grant congressional power to the convention. Thomas Cobb, of Georgia, moved that the committee be twelve, with two members from each state delegation. The Convention settled on the latter, nominating Memminger and Robert Barnwell from South Carolina, William Barry and Wiley Harris from Mississippi, James Anderson and James Owens from Florida, Richard Walker and Robert Smith from Alabama, Alexander Stephens and Eugenius Nisbet from Georgia, and John Perkins and Duncan Kenner from Louisiana to the Committee of Twelve. The committee elected Memminger, who had arrived at the convention with a draft already prepared, as their chair.
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