The Declaration of Causes of Secession, adopted on December 24, 1860, represented South Carolina’s statement to the South, the nation, and the world that it was compelled to secede from the Union. In a detailed explanation, South Carolina presented the southern theory of the Union and the nature of the U.S. Constitution, aired its grievances against the North, and justified its decision to secede. It left no doubt that the precipitating factor behind its withdrawal from the Union was the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency.