South Carolina seceded from the United States on December 20, 1860.

Quick Scoop

  • Exact date: December 20, 1860.
  • Place: Delegates met in convention (moving from Columbia to Charleston) and adopted the Ordinance of Secession.
  • Significance: South Carolina was the first state to secede, setting off a chain reaction of other Southern secessions and helping lead directly into the American Civil War.

In simple terms: South Carolina’s leaders gathered, voted, and formally declared on December 20, 1860, that the state was leaving the Union.

Extra historical note

  • Four days later, on December 24, 1860, South Carolina adopted a separate document called the “Declaration of the Immediate Causes,” explaining why it seceded, centered heavily on the protection of slavery.

TL;DR: When did South Carolina secede? December 20, 1860. This made it the first state to leave the Union and a key spark for the Civil War.

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