The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slaveholding interests and Northern Free-Soilers. This was one of the most controversial acts of the 1850 compromise and heightened Northern fears of a 'slave power conspiracy'. It declared that all runaway slaves be brought back to their masters. Abolitionists nicknamed it the "Bloodhound Law" for the dogs that were used to track down runaway slaves. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugitive_Slave_Act_of_1850
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Ruben
3/15/2010 11:57:53 pm
First of all, we have to see exactly what the Fugitive Slave Act was.
The Fugitive Slave Act, by law, gave authorization to hold any accused Fugitives without a arrest warrant. Instead of a jury trail, the federal commissioner ruled the case.
The textbook
The Fugitive Slave Act was a set of laws in the "Comprimise of 1850". The Comprimise of !850 was a group of bills that were intended on dealing with the wide spread of Slavery working in the north and south. Passage of this law was so hated by abolitionists, however, that its existence played a role in the end of slavery a little more than a dozen years later. This law also spurred the continued operation of the fabled Undergound Railroad, a network of over 3,000 homes and other "stations" that helped escaping slaves travel from the southern slave-holding states to the northern states and Canada.
Also, the Fugitve Slave Act was one of the causes for the Civil War. Any person who did not capture a slave was liable to punishment, causeing abolitionists to become more agaisnt slavery which was a main reason for the Civil
The Fugitive Slave Act was part of the group of laws referred to as the "Compromise of 1850." In this compromise, the antislavery advocates gained the admission of California as a free state, and the prohibition of slave-trading in the District of Columbia. The slavery party received concessions with regard to slaveholding in Texas and the passage of this law. Passage of this law was so hated by abolitionists, however, that its existence played a role in the end of slavery a little more than a dozen years later. This law also spurred the continued operation of the fabled Undergound Railroad, a network of over 3,000 homes and other "stations" that helped escaping slaves travel from the southern slave-holding states to the northern states and Canada.
n payment for Southern support for California's admission to the Union as a free state and ending the slave trade in the District of Columbia, Congress enacted the Fugitive Slave Act to assist the South with maintaining a tight rein on slaveholders’ property.
The new law created a force of federal commissioners empowered to pursue fugitive slaves in any state and return them to their owners. No statute of limitations applied, so that even those slaves who had been free for many years could be (and were) returned. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h137.html
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Andrew Murphy
3/16/2010 08:46:47 am
The Fugitive Slave Act provided southern slaveholders with authorized weapons to capture slaves who had escaped to the North (or fugitive slaves) and helped to change many uninterested northerners to anti-slavery. It was also a piece of the collection of Laws referred to as the " Compromise of 1850". In this Compromise, the antislavery supporters achieved California as a free state, and the ban of slave trading in the District of Columbia, the capital of the United States. The pro-slavery party received compromise with regard to slaveholding in Texas and the passing the Fugitive Slave Act. Abolitionists detested the passing of this law, but the laws existence played a function in ending slavery a dozen years later. This law also encouraged the persistent process of the Underground Railroad, which was a series of more than 3,000 houses, and other places that helped the fugitive slaves escape to the North and Canada.
I do not like this act. It gave all the slaveholders who had weapons to capture fugitive slaves. They could pretty much just hold them at gunpoint and tell them to do whatever they want. This act was very harsh and cruel.
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Cimone
3/17/2010 11:22:57 am
This affected many anit-slavery northerners and abolishonists. This conflicted them between waht was law and what was morally right to them. In 1854, the Wisconsin Supreme Court became the only state high court to declare the Fugitive Slave Act unconstitutional, as a result of a case involving fugitive slave Joshua Glover, and Sherman Booth, who led efforts that thwarted Glover's recapture. Ultimately, in 1859 in Ableman v. Booth the U.S. Supreme Court overruled the state court. Other opponents, such as African American leader Harriet Tubman, simply treated the law as just another complication in their activities. The most important reaction was making the neighboring country of Canada the main destination of choice for runaway slaves.
I believe that this Act was not needed, it gave anyone the freedom to use weapons on slaves. At that time period it would seem right, but in our time period we have found that it is cruel and morally wrong.
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Cimone(:
3/19/2010 04:20:15 am
I believe that if the runaway slave got to the North they would be free. Also, the government shouldn't force people against slavery to help in capturing African Americans. This wasn't even a legit way of regaining run away slaves. Slave trades could easily say that a random black person was their property even though it wasn't. These slaves were taken without any trial. This was an inefficient way of regaining runaway slaves.
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Andrew Bates
3/21/2010 05:15:25 am
The Fugitive Slave act was passed in 1850 with only four votes against it. This Law stated that any federal marshal who did not arrest an alleged runaway slave would be fined for $1000. People suspected of being a runaway slave could be arrested without warrant and turned over to a claimant on nothing more than his sworn testimony of ownership. Suspected slaves could not ask for a jury trail nor testify on his/her behalf. Any person helping a escaped slave in any way could spend six months in prison and be fined $1000. Officers who captured a runaway slave were entitled to a fee, which encouraged some officers to capture free Negroes and sell them to slave owners.
