One of the causes of the Civil War was the breakdown of the political parties that held the nation together. In 1852, the Whig Party fought over who their next presidential candidate should be. The South wanted Millard Fillmore, who was strongly pro-slavery. The North wanted Winfield Scott, who was not. When Scott was nominated, the southern Whigs began abandoning the Party for the Democrats or other pro-slavery elements, beginning the slow death of the Whig Party. When the parties fell apart the nation followed.
Historically Speaking 