During the 1800s, there was a separation of the United States of America, the north being known as The Union while the south being known as the Confederate States of America. This separation was caused by the idea of slavery being seen as inhumane. For instance, before the separation, there was a Republican Party platform in 1860 where Republicans saw slavery as cruel and unjust (Document A). They believed there should be no slavery, in any manner, in the United States of America. The north side of the United States was slave free, so the abolishment of slavery would not be detrimental. The south, however, having slaves, felt that the abolishment of slavery would be detrimental, thus the abolishment of slavery would brew tension between the north and the south. Once a republican, known as Abraham Lincoln, was elected president, the south separated …show more content…
These reasons show that controversies during the 19th century were mostly influenced by the issue of slavery. Furthermore, the issue of slavery still lingers today, where the formation of a group known as the Ku Klux Klan, who discriminate not only African-Americans and other races that are not classified as white, but also people who support African Americans. Ultimately, the issue of slavery was a driving force for most political controversies throughout history, specifically the 19th