<p>When the constitution was being forged, there was much discussion about what exactly the nation was to be. Some wanted only the loosest of connections between the states, with states being more like individual nations and the Federal Government being little more than a common union, agreeing to join together to protect from outside forces that would attempt to harm any state. When the northern states decided that slavery was to be illegal, southern states were concerned about how they would continue to run their plantations. The issue of "states rights" was one of the largest concerns during the time before the civil war broke out. Southern states wanted to decide for themselves if slavery was to be legal, not letting northern states make such decisions for them. People from the north found the practice to be so reprehensible that they wanted to force the south to stop the practice. While slavery was a significant reason for the civil war, States Rights divided the nation and the defeat of states rights was a significant blow to the efforts of the original founders of the constitution.</p> 
<p>19 people found this useful</p>
What issues divide the nation during the civil war?