To what extent was the breakup of the union in 1861 a result of the conflict over slavery dbq

It was a large portion of the breakup. The south felt increased pressure, especially with the election of a Republican, a party whose major platform was dedicated to the dissolution of slavery. The southern economy still depended on slavery to run the large plantations and large scale mechanization was still years away. The north on the other hand was highly industrialized and mechanized so didn't require a large bonded labor force.