The Confederate States of America (CSA) was a self-proclaimed republic formed by eleven Southern states that seceded from the United States between 1860 and 1861. Its primary aim was to preserve the institution of slavery, leading to the <a href="/article/american-civil-war">American Civil War</a> against the Union. The Confederacy existed from 1861 to 1865 and was never recognized as a sovereign nation by any foreign government.