Confederate Constitution adopted

Old Alabama Senate Chamber

• Delegates to the Convention in Montgomery adopt a provisional Constitution, and a provisional Confederacy officially comes into existence. With several significant changes, including a six-year term for President, the right to own slaves, the outlawing of the slave trade, the right of a free state to join the Confederacy, an appeal to Almighty God in the preamble, and the sovereign power of the states, the document closely resembles the United States Constitution. /1861

• Fulfilling orders from Georgia Governor Joseph E. Brown, state military authorities in Savannah seize five ships loaded with goods bound for New York. The seizure is in response to New York police seizing 200 guns purchased by a Macon firm for shipment to Georgia. Governor Brown had contacted the governor of New York to have the guns released, but Governor Edwin Morgan failed to respond. So finally Governor Brown ordered that Georgia military forces seize every ship at the port of Savannah belonging to citizens of New York./1861

• The Confederacy receives a $500,000 loan from Louisiana. The money came from the New Orleans mint and the United States Customs office, lately seized by the Louisiana Militia./1861