How many southern states had seceded by the time Lincoln took office?

By the time Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated in March 1861, seven southern states had seceded from the Union. This secession began with South Carolina in December 1860, followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas in early 1861. These states formed the Confederate States of America in February 1861, indicating their intention to separate from the United States as a response to issues such as states' rights and slavery—central themes in the escalating tensions leading to the Civil War. The choice of seven states provides a clear understanding of the immediate political landscape Lincoln faced as he assumed the presidency, emphasizing the gravity of the national divide at that pivotal moment in American history.