The Civil War was the result of 40 years of intense conflict and symbolized economic, social, and poliitical diferences between the north and the south. The South produced cash crops ... cotton, tobacco, and sugarcan for export to the north and Europe it depended on the North for manufactures and for trade. The labor force in the south
included nearly 4 million slaves. Although the slave owners formed a small minority of the population it dominated Southern politics and society. Slaves were the largest single investment in the south. Fear of slave unrest ensured the loyalty of non slave owners to the economic and social system.
To maintain peace between the Southern and Northern supporters in the dmocratic and whig parties political leaders tried to avoid the slavery question. Ignoring the issue became really difficult. The Missouri compromise of 1820 temporarily solved the problem by makeing the 36°30' parallel as the line separating free and slave territory in the louisiana purchase.
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