The great economic and social divisions between the North and South in the first half of the 1800s eventually led to the Civil War. During those prewar years, the North industrialized, urbanized, and became more reliant on wage labor. In contrast, the South remained a rural, agricultural society that focused on slavery to harvest cash crops like cotton and tobacco. Historians have often said that due to the huge differences between the two regions, the Civil War was inevitable. What do you think could have been done, if anything, to prevent the war? Also consider the issue of slavery, which became so central to the disagreements between the North and South. Could simple compromise or political debate between the two sides have eventually ended slavery without a war? Be sure to point to evidence from throughout this unit or that you have found on your own that supports your viewpoint.