Name one problem that led to the Civil War.

The issue of slavery was a fundamental cause of the Civil War, as it created deep-seated divisions between the Northern and Southern states. The Southern economy was heavily reliant on agriculture and the use of enslaved labor, while the Northern states were moving towards industrialization and had a growing abolitionist movement. The moral, economic, and political debates surrounding slavery intensified, leading to sectionalism—a strong allegiance to one’s own region—thereby worsening tensions.

As the nation expanded westward, the question of whether new states would be slave or free created further conflict. The Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850 attempted to resolve these issues but ultimately highlighted the irreconcilable differences between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions.

While other factors, such as disagreements over taxes, war debt, and western expansion, did contribute to tensions of the period, the issue of slavery was the key and most contentious topic that ultimately led to the outbreak of the Civil War. It was fundamental to the identity and economic interests of the South, and the Northern opposition to the expansion of slavery directly challenged Southern interests, resulting in a national crisis.