Final answer:
During the 1850s, Northerners and Southerners had different reactions to the American Anti-Slavery Society, with Northerners seeing a conspiracy of slave power and Southerners viewing an influential abolitionist element. The differing viewpoints on slavery intensified the tensions between the two regions.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the 1850s, the Northerners and Southerners reacted differently to the American Anti-Slavery Society. Northerners believed that a vast slave power conspiracy dominated national politics, while Southerners saw an influential abolitionist element trying to eliminate slavery all over the country. Few people on either side fell into these extremist categories, but both Northern and Southern spokesmen felt compelled to criticize the other side and defend their position. Ultimately, these differences in perspective on slavery contributed to the tensions between the North and the South, which eventually led to the Civil War.