The slave trade and the cotton economy grew during this time, but many Northerners wanted the practice to stop. This would ultimately lead to the Civil War, along with other events that boiled up during this time. Blacks were subjugated, had no rights, were often cruelly beaten, or whipped for any infraction, and it was a low point in their history as well. This was a time of great strides in transportation, with the first railroads developing, canals constructed, roads built, and the growth of industry and business. It became possible to ship goods for long distances, and with the invention of the steam engine and other technologies, it became possible to automate many factories, creating more jobs in the industrial North and drawing labor from the farms to the cities. It was a time when immigration was extremely...

First, it was the Democrats to challenge the Whigs, then; it was the Republicans, who finally centered on Abraham Lincoln as their candidate of choice as they grew in popularity. These essentially formed the backbone of the parties still in existence today, although their platforms have altered from what they were then. It was a time of discord in the country, but it was also a crucial time of growth, expansion, and change, and it all happened in only 50 years, which seems amazing even today.
References

Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 2004.