The Presidents' Decisions During The Civil War During the 1800's the United States was severely torn over sectional issues, being political, social as well as economic in nature. The principle struggle between the North and South arose over slavery. This controversy came to be so divisive that the Southern Democrats who favored the continuation and expansion of the slave institution, threatened to secede if Abraham Lincoln, the Republican Candidate who favored the containment of slavery where it had previously existed, was elected to serve as the President of the United States. Lincoln did win th