The Civil war was a large turning point for slavery. Before this time, there were many issues in America along with activists trying to reform their society. However the issue of slavery was the biggest issue and led to sectionalism. Sectionalism is the loyalty to a specific area (instead of the country as a whole). The South was primarily pro-slavery while the north was primarily against slavery. This led to the South not trusting Lincoln as he wanted to stop the spread of slavery (as apposed to abolish it). Secession led to the formation of the Confederacy, which led to the Civil War. The Civil War marked the point where the future of slavery was to be determined.