The first state to secede from the Union in 1860 was ______. North Carolina South Carolina Mississippi Texas

The first state to secede from the Union in 1860 was South Carolina.

Extra: The context of this question is the period leading up to the American Civil War. During the 19th century, there were growing tensions between the northern and southern states of what was then the United States. These tensions centered primarily around the issue of slavery and states' rights. The northern states were largely against the expansion of slavery into new territories and states, while the southern states supported it because their economies were deeply intertwined with the institution of slavery.

On December 20, 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union after the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States. Lincoln was a member of the Republican Party, which had a platform that opposed the expansion of slavery into the territories. Many in the South saw his election as a direct threat to their way of life and economic interests.

Following South Carolina's secession, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas also seceded by February 1, 1861. These states then went on to form the Confederate States of America. The conflict between the North (the Union) and the South (the Confederacy) escalated into the American Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865. The war concluded with the defeat of the Confederate states and the abolition of slavery in the United States.