Final answer:
The reading discusses the tensions and conflicts between the North and South of the United States, specifically related to slavery, which eventually led to the Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reading, 'A NATION DIVIDED: NORTH VS. SOUTH', discusses the tensions and conflicts that arose between the North and South of the United States in the 19th century, leading eventually to the Civil War. Slavery played a significant role in dividing the two regions, with Northerners and Southerners having different perspectives on the institution.
Northerners believed in a vast slave power conspiracy dominating national politics, while Southerners saw an influential abolitionist movement trying to eliminate slavery nationwide. These differences in viewpoints and the inability to reach a resolution eventually resulted in a brutal civil war between the two regions.