Secede / secession
U.S. Naturalization Test (2025 Standard) glossary · Course Foundations
Definition
To formally leave a union - the South, 1860-61.
Secede / secession in plain English
To "secede" means to formally quit a union — to say "we're out" and try to become separate. In American history this points to 1860-61, when eleven Southern states declared they were leaving the United States (that act of leaving is called "secession"), mainly over slavery, which set off the Civil War. Picture a group project where some members announce they're breaking off to form their own team — except here the country said you can't just walk out, and a war settled it. The result: states cannot legally secede, and the nation stayed one country.
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