How did individual states secede from the Union in 1861?

Question

through votes in their state legislatures and conventions
by collecting the signatures of Southern voters on petitions
through a vote during the Democratic Party convention
by collecting the signatures of Southern slaveholders

Answer 1

Individual states seceded from the Union in 1861 primarily through votes in their state legislatures and conventions. After the election of Abraham Lincoln in November 1860, several Southern states held conventions to discuss secession. These conventions typically voted on whether to leave the Union, and in most cases, the decision to secede was made through a formal vote by convention delegates or in some instances, by state legislatures. The process of secession was not based on collecting signatures or through party conventions.