A National Archives Foundation educational resource using primary sources from the National Archives
On April 17, 1861, delegates to a special convention of the Commonwealth of Virginia voted to repeal its ratification of the United States Constitution. Virginia was among the 11 states that seceded from the Union during the Civil War to form the Confederate States of America. After Virginia joined the Confederacy, the new government moved its capital to Richmond.
This primary source comes from the General Records of the Department of State.
National Archives Identifier: 598395
Full Citation: Ordinance of Secession of the Commonwealth of Virginia; 4/17/1861; Records Relating to the Virginia Ordinance of Secession, 1861–1941; General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/ordinance-of-secession-of-the-commonwealth-of-virginia/, January 9, 2026]
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