Can anyone describe the main factors that contributed to separate North and South into two sectional identities by the eve of the American Civil...

The main and explicit and most obvious reason for division between Southern and Northern states of America that ultimately led to the civil war was the issue of slavery. People in Southern states depended heavily on slave labour for their agricultural activity, and believed that their economy would collapse without slave labour. Also they believed that whites are superior than blacks. Therefor they supported slavery. In contrast the people in the northern states, who believed in hard work and dignity of labour pressed for abolition of slavery.

However there were other issues also involved that separated Northerners from Southerners. The southern economy was based mostly on agriculture. People led luxurious lives, avoiding hard work. They were proud of their past heritage and present lifestyle, and they wanted to preserve it.

In contract, Northern economy depended more on trade and industry. The people there valued hard work and education. They were progressive minded and valued education. They supported modernization and accepted change in heir lives readily.

Thees differences between Northerners and Southerners may not have caused explicit conflicts between them but, experts believe that they did contribute substantially to the distrust between the two factions.