Before and during the Civil War, Americans had a lot of disagreements about how much power the federal government (like the President and Congress) and state governments (the leaders of each individual state) should have. It was kind of like a big argument about who gets to make the rules.

Question

Some people believed that the federal government should have more power. They thought that since the country was united, there should be strong laws that applied to everyone. This side wanted to make sure that things like slavery could be controlled at the national level, so it wouldn’t vary from state to state. They worried that if each state had too much power, it could lead to unfairness.

On the other hand, many people, especially in the Southern states, believed that states should have more power and could decide for themselves what was best. This was especially true for issues like slavery. They thought that each state should be able to decide whether to allow slavery or not, without the federal government interfering. They felt that their rights as states were being threatened by the federal government trying to impose rules they didn't agree with.

These disagreements got really heated and were part of what led to the Civil War. People were arguing about states’ rights versus federal control, and in the end, it became a major fight over slavery, which many viewed as a moral issue. It was basically a huge clash between who should be in charge and who should be making the important decisions for America.
make it shorter
and like a 13 year old wrote it

Answer 1

Before and during the Civil War, Americans argued a lot about how much power the federal government (like the President and Congress) and state governments should have. Some people believed the federal government should be stronger to make sure there were laws that applied to everyone, especially about slavery. They were worried that if states had too much power, it could lead to unfairness.

On the flip side, many people, especially in the South, believed that states should have more power to make their own choices, including whether or not to allow slavery. They felt the federal government was threatening their rights by trying to set rules they disagreed with.

These disagreements escalated and contributed to the Civil War, as it turned into a major conflict over states' rights versus federal control, with slavery becoming a key moral issue. It was a huge battle over who should be in charge and make important decisions for the country.