Read the passage below then answer the question that follows.

Southern States Secede

When Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election of 1860, Southerners were outraged. South Carolina immediately seceded from the Union. Six other Southern states followed South Carolina’s example by seceding before Lincoln took office. These included Texas, where a statewide convention decided on secession on February 1, 1861. Despite the opposition of Governor Sam Houston, Texas voters approved the secession on February 23rd.

The seceding states formed the Confederate States of America. They elected Jefferson Davis as the President of the Confederacy. Davis delivered his inaugural address in Alabama saying the the southern states could legally secede based on the right of popular sovereignty. Davis did not believe there was any reason to start a war. But if the North attacked the South, Davis warned the new Confederacy would be prepared to fight to maintain its independence.

1. What was the effect of Abraham Lincoln being elected president of the United States?

A. The United States of America annexed western territories.

B. Southern states seceded from the United States of America.

C. The southern states filed a lawsuit to protect their right to own slaves.

D. Jefferson Davis was elected president of the United States.