1848–1877
The Civil War Era from 1848–1877 saw the largest split of American society in history, in addition to the costly and lengthy Reconstruction period that attempted to mend the broken nation. The rich plantation society of the Old South promoted slavery because it was necessary for the success of the rich plantation owners. However, the movement against slavery continued to grow and it led to the separation between the two main regions of the country. The West also played a role in the slavery dispute because new western states had to choose whether they would support slavery or abolition in Congress. The division between North and South continued to grow with events like Bleeding Kansas, the Dred Scott