Write down the political landscape of America on the eve of the Civil War? Most of the scholars point out that the Civil War was in many ways the product of the breakdown in the American political system which had efficiently contained the divisive issue of slavery till the dissolution of the Whig Party on the eve of the Civil War.
This solution provides the student a sense of the two political parties and what factors likely decided one's political allegiance just prior to the regionalization of politics which occurred in the run-up to war. A good account of the political history and the factors which led to collapse of a functioning two party system in US politics are given.
This research was collected with a focus on Ohio politics (a fascinating political state of the 19th century), however has much obvious national implications.