What best describes the impact of secession?

The impact of secession can best be described as the South's claim to be a sovereign nation because secession fundamentally arose from the desire of certain states to separate from the Union and govern themselves independently. When southern states seceded from the United States, they believed they were exercising their rights to self-determination and creating their own government, free from federal control. This assertion of sovereignty was central to the justification for secession, as these states sought to establish themselves as independent entities rather than simply breaking away from federal laws or governance.

The concept of sovereignty is crucial in this context, as it denotes the authority of a state to govern itself without outside interference. Although secession led to significant political and military consequences, the underlying belief of the secessionist states was that they had the right to exist as their own nation, thus highlighting their claim to sovereignty.