Complex sentence: Already a melting pot by 1860 of divergent cultures, views, opinions, and politics, as Southern states began seceding with the election of Lincoln, New Yorkers in general supported the war effort, but there were several notable early exceptions.
Split into simpler sentences: Already a melting pot by 1860 of divergent cultures, views, opinions, and politics. As Southern states began seceding with the election of Lincoln, New Yorkers in general supported the war effort, but there were several notable early exceptions.