The Missouri Compromise marked a major turning point in America's sectional crisis because it revealed to the public how divisive the issue of slavery was. During the Revolutionary period, Americans had already understood that the thirteen colonies could be classified into three categories: those of the south, middle, and New, SECTIONAL -1860. Most Americans are aware that the issue of slavery sharply divided the North and South, particularly in the decades before the Civil War. These are not the only issues that divide the North and the South. Most of the divisions were rooted in economic issues, but there were social issues. Sectionalism in the United States was widespread in the years and it referred to different customs, social structures, lifestyles, and political views of the North and South of the United States. Sectionalism gave rise to tensions in the United States, which eventually led to the Civil War. People were incredibly loyal to their part of the country. The 18th century in America was marked by deep divisions and tensions between different regions of the country, a phenomenon known as sectionalism. These economic, social, and political divisions ultimately culminated in the outbreak of the Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in American history, which tore the United States apart.