POINTS OF DIVERGENCE

The American Civil War was the

culmination of the struggle between
the advocates and opponents of
slavery that dated from the founding
of the United States. By the late
1850s the issue of the extension of
slavery to the western states had
reached a boiling point. The election
of Abraham Lincoln, a member of the
antislavery Republican Party, as
president in 1860 precipitated the
secession of 11 Southern states,
leading to a civil war
• Economic and social differences
between the North and the South.
• States versus federal rights.
• The fight between Slave and Non-
Slave State Proponents.
• Growth of the Abolition Movement.
• The election of Abraham Lincoln.