<human>: What were the most influential factors that led to the Civil War?
<bot>: The most influential factor that led to the Civil War was the disagreement over slavery. Slavery had been a part of American life since the 1600s, but it became an increasingly divisive issue during the 1800s as more people came to believe that it was morally wrong. In addition, there were economic and political issues at play, such as the growing disparity between North and South in terms of wealth and power.