Problem: The founding fathers, many of whom were slaveholders, purposely did not address the issue of slavery in the country's founding documents. The "peculiar institution" would go on to poison social relations in the country, until the North and the South eventually went to war over the issue. Beginning with the Missouri Compromise, explain the key political events and the social and economic conditions that led up to the U.S. Civil War. Who were the principal players-groups and individuals-on each side of the sectarian divide? What were their positions, and how did they seek to come to terms with the realities of slavery and the complexities of governing the country? To what degree was western expansion and the Mexican-American War instrumental in antagonizing the relationship between the North and the South, and at what point did the Civil War become inevitable? By way of a concluding paragraph, offer an overall assessment on the successes and failures of the Civil War. As always, please provide supporting evidence for your discussion.