The Fugitive Slave Law Of 1850
Caitlinn Lovett
Professor Jimmy Pigg
US History 201
16 June 2015
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was part of a group of laws that are known as the Compromise of 1850. The law required that all escaped slaves who fled were to be returned to their masters and prohibited anyone from aiding runaway slaves. Abolitionists hated the passage of this law so much that it played a major role in the end of slavery. The northern attitude toward slavery was resented by the southern states and was a contributing factor to the start of the Underground Railroad.
Following the Mexican-American War, a series of bills were developed intended to settle many of the difficulties presented by slavery and other controversial issues. The strained relations between the North and South were amplifying because slavery was such a bitter issue. The growing tensions between those two regions evolved as a result of the Mexican-American War. The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 was intended to strengthen Article IV, Section 2, Clause 3, of the U.S Constitution that states, “No person held in service or labor in one State, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation, therein, be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due” (Fugitive Slave Law of 1850). Henry Clay’s proposal to aid in the enforcement of this clause recognized the fact that several northern states had passed personal liberty laws, protecting the rights of citizens claimed as fugitive slaves. The states had done so in reaction to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793, which provided that a slave could be captured by a slaveholder or this agent and brought before a federal or local judge. If the judge ruled that the charges against the fugitive were true, he or she would be returned to slavery. The act was challenged in the free states as a violation of the right to trial
Professor Jimmy Pigg
US History 201
16 June 2015
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was part of a group of laws that are known as the Compromise of 1850. The law required that all escaped slaves who fled were to be returned to their masters and prohibited anyone from aiding runaway slaves. Abolitionists hated the passage of this law so much that it played a major role in the end of slavery. The northern attitude toward slavery was resented by the southern states and was a contributing factor to the start of the Underground Railroad.
Following the Mexican-American War, a series of bills were developed intended to settle many of the difficulties presented by slavery and other controversial issues. The strained relations between the North and South were amplifying because slavery was such a bitter issue. The growing tensions between those two regions evolved as a result of the Mexican-American War. The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 was intended to strengthen Article IV, Section 2, Clause 3, of the U.S Constitution that states, “No person held in service or labor in one State, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation, therein, be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due” (Fugitive Slave Law of 1850). Henry Clay’s proposal to aid in the enforcement of this clause recognized the fact that several northern states had passed personal liberty laws, protecting the rights of citizens claimed as fugitive slaves. The states had done so in reaction to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793, which provided that a slave could be captured by a slaveholder or this agent and brought before a federal or local judge. If the judge ruled that the charges against the fugitive were true, he or she would be returned to slavery. The act was challenged in the free states as a violation of the right to trial
Cited: Prokopowicz, Gerald J. "Compromise of 1850." American Eras: The Reform Era and Eastern U.S. Development. Detroit: Gale Research, 1998. Print. Finkelman, Paul, and Bruce A. Lesh. "Fugitive Slave Law of 1850."Milestone Documents in American History: Exploring the Primary Sources That Shaped America. Dallas, TX: Schlager Group, 2008. N. Pag. Print. Hamilton, Holman. Prologue to Conflict: The Crisis and Compromise of 1850. Lexington: U of Kentucky, 1964. Print. "The Fugitive Slave Act." HISTORY. N.p., 12 Mar. 2013. Web. 16 June 2015. Foner, Eric. "Eric Foner on The Fugitive Slave Act." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 16 June 2015.