Final answer:
The main issues dividing the North and South were different views on state's rights and slavery. The South favored state autonomy to maintain a slave economy, while the North preferred a strong central government to abolish slavery, leading to the Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main issues dividing the North and the South were differing views regarding state's rights and slavery. The North and the South had very different perspectives on the institution of slavery, which was both a moral and economic issue. In the North, there was a preference for a stronger central government that could override state laws to outlaw slavery. In contrast, the South, with its economy heavily dependent on slave labor, advocated for a weaker central government and the autonomy to maintain slavery. These conflicting views on state's rights and slavery, combined with other factors such as the economic interests and political power, ultimately led to the Civil War. The war resulted in the strengthening of the national government, the abolition of slavery, and a new definition of the balance of power between states and the federal authority