Beginning in 1850, the sectional differences between the North and the South continued to cause friction in the nation, which eventually led to the inevitable civil war. Due to northern focus on industry and southern focus on agriculture, sectionalism developed among the states. The controversial issue of slavery further divided the North and the South based on their views; the north viewed slavery as a morally wrong practice, and the south viewed slavery as a part of their life style. State and federal supremacy also caused tension between the sections due to their contradicting views on how to better their growing nation. Though there were various causes for the Civil War, major differences in economic views, social standards, and political aspects contributed to the eventual separation of these two sections of the country. .
During the Antebellum period, the North and the South differed in their views of the best way to stimulate the economy in their own region. This division between the two regions began in colonial times and resulted from geographical differences. The south had warm climate and fertile soil which were ideal conditions for agriculture. Due to heavy reliance on agriculture, many plantations were started and therefore, black slaves were brought in from Africa to provide labor. Over time, the south established a life style that was supported by an agricultural economy based on slave labor (Document A). By the late 1860s, the south had a major percentage of its population as slaveholders and relied on these slaves as the main source of labor (Document H). The North had a cooler climate and rocky terrain, which did not allow for a focus on agriculture; however, the north was able to focus more on trade. Industry and commerce were also centered in the north with many factories that sprang up in the region. Because of the climate difference and rocky terrain, the North was able to develop a more industrialized economy based on trade (Document A).
