Question

Sectionalism was a major part of the events that led to the Civil War. What does sectionalism refer to?

Answer 1

C.  life in the North was very different than life in the South
Or the west...  Sectionalism was the problem of each region wanting what was best for them as federal policy.  Unfortunately, the different areas wanted/needed different laws/policies.

Answer 2

          The  secession that divided the southern states into Confederates has it's origin in the sectionalism, the different way of living in the south compared to the north.

          The south of the United states had it's political power in the hands of the great Plantation owners, who had a great amount of slaves. They found that the laws passed were not beneficial for the south, and that they were not supportive of the issues that concerned the south that it was the institution of slavery as a legitimate , legal right (making the southern people "second-class citizens").  The Tariffs ( tax on imported goods) displeased non-industrialized southerns, the refusal of compliance (under the Personal liberty laws) with the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 by some states bothered them as well. There were fights over the annexation of new territories from the Mexican-American war as free or slave state, making it  a clash of ideologies based on the way south had it's economy and the interference of the north with the slavery issue.

         With the election of Republican Abraham Lincoln in 1860, it was certain that the north ideals would continue to prevail and the seven southern states united in as Confederate States of America, a separate entity with the purpose of becoming a pro-slavery ruled official government. And then it was started the civil war.

        So, as stated before, the right answer would be C.Life in the North wasvery different than life in the South.