• States' rights. Southerners felt that the federal government was overstepping its bounds by interfering with state laws, particularly regarding slavery.
• Slavery. Slavery was the cornerstone of the Southern economy, and southerners feared that the North would eventually abolish it. This fear was exacerbated by the election of Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories.
• Tariffs. Southerners felt that the tariffs imposed by the federal government were unfair to them, as they benefited Northern industry at the expense of Southern agriculture.
• Social and cultural differences. Southerners felt that their way of life was different from that of Northerners, and they did not want to be dominated by the North.