In January 1861, Texas convened a special convention in which delegates from around the state voted on the question of secession. Despite disapproval from the state's governor, Sam Houston, the motion to secede passed nearly unanimously on February 1, 1861; later in that month, it was confirmed by a state referendum (a popular vote among the citizens of the state). Subsequently, Texas joined the Confederacy formally on March 2, 1861.
