The reason the South and North went to war was the south siege and seizure of the northern fortress, fort sumpter. The bigger reason was slaves, with Lincoln in charge, the south feared for their rights for slaves.(Lincoln was a well known abolitionist) Thus, the south broke away from the Union out of fear that The North would take away their slaves. The difference between North and South at the time was that the North was industrialized while the south had an agricultural based economy. The South has a warmer and more humid climate than the north making it perfect for farms. The north has a more cooler climate than the south, but bountiful in resources and land, making it perfect for factories and cities.