This document discusses several key aspects of slavery in the United States prior to the Civil War, as well as events that increased sectionalism between the North and South and ultimately led to the Civil War. It outlines how slavery began in the 17th century and was legal and widespread in the South by the 1800s. It also discusses the Dred Scott decision, the Fugitive Slave Act, and the Underground Railroad. The economies and ways of life in the North versus South are contrasted. Key figures and events in the rise of sectionalism and the election of 1860 are summarized, including the Lincoln-Douglas debates and states' rights issues.