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First Confederate Capitol

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Six seceding Southern states Delegates met on February 4, 1861 at the The First Confederate Capitol. Jefferson Davis was inaugurated on the west portico on February 18 1861 a day later. The Capitol would remain a meeting place for the Confederate States until May 22, 1861. Before long the capitol was moved to Richmond, Virginia..

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The First Confederate Capitol in Alabama was the seat of government for the Confederate States of America from February to May 1861. It was located in Montgomery, Alabama, and served as the first capital of the Confederacy before the government was moved to Richmond, Virginia. The building was originally constructed as the Alabama State Capitol in 1851, but it was leased to the Confederate government during the Civil War. Today, the building serves as a museum and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The building’s design is based on the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It features a large dome, a central rotunda, and two wings for the House and Senate. The building underwent several renovations during its time as the Confederate Capitol, including the addition of a new entrance and the removal of the Alabama state seal from the dome. The building was also used as a military hospital during the war.

During its time as the Confederate Capitol, the building played a crucial role in shaping the course of the Civil War. The Confederate Constitution was drafted and signed in the building’s Senate chamber, and Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as the Confederacy’s first and only president on the building’s steps. The building also witnessed the drafting of the first Confederate flag, which flew over the Capitol until it was replaced with the familiar “Stars and Bars” design in May 1861.

Today, the First Confederate Capitol in Alabama is a popular tourist destination for history enthusiasts. The building’s museum features exhibits on the Civil War and the Confederacy, as well as artifacts from the building’s time as the Confederate Capitol. Visitors can tour the building’s restored House and Senate chambers, as well as the room where the Confederate Constitution was drafted and signed. The building’s prominent role in the history of the Civil War and the Confederacy make it an important landmark in Alabama and the United States as a whole.