When the South seceded in 1860-61, one argument was that in 1776, when the thirteen Colonies rebelled against Great Britain, it was a secession. Others argued the two situations were very different. The thirteen colonies revolted against Great Britain, they did not secede from it. What resulted was the American Revolutionary War. It can also be argued that the Southern states were revolting against the Union. Each of the colonies was regarding itself as a sovereign state and was waging a war of independence in cooperation with twelve other sovereign nations.