The Democrats were ready to secede in early 1860. They did not act until Lincoln was elected but the plans were already in place.
Secession was never put to a popular vote or publicly debated in the southern states. It was put through the legislatures in very quick votes by a small, highly organized group of secessionists.
The southern people suffered greatly from secession. If they understood the consequences and it had been put up for a vote I wonder if they would have voted to secede from the union.
Depends on the state. Some, like North Carolina, but the matter to a popular vote. Others had elections for delegates to a secession convention. It believe it was more popular and more widely debated than you seem to think.
The southern people suffered greatly from secession. If they understood the consequences and it had been put up for a vote I wonder if they would have voted to secede from the union.
Depends on region. Western North Carolina, northwestern Virginia, northern Alabama and eastern Tennessee all had strong unionist sentiment throughout the war.