Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

According to the passage, the Civil War began in April of 1861. The next two sentences mention 1858 and February of 1860, listing several events that contributed to the tense and hostile atmosphere between North and South. It’s fair to infer that the author considered the war imminent. The author later writes, “…this great crisis was only the bursting into flame of many smaller fires that had long been smoldering.”