Fugitive Slave Act

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed as one of five elements of the Compromise of 1850. It was a concession to southern states since California’s entry as a free state gave a slight advantage to free states in the Senate. The law was unpopular in northern states because of portions like this excerpt.

Source 1

Section 7 …any person who shall knowingly and willingly obstruct, hinder, or prevent [the slave owner] from arresting such a fugitive from service or labor…or attempt to rescue, such fugitive from service or labor…or shall aid, abet, or assist such person…directly or indirectly, to escape from [the slaveowner]...or shall harbor or conceal such fugitive, so as to prevent the discovery and arrest of such person, after notice or knowledge of the fact that such person was a fugitive from service or labor…shall, for either of said offences, be subject to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, and imprisonment not exceeding six months, by indictment and conviction before the District Court of the United States for the district in which such offence may have been committed…

Fugitive Slave Act, 1850. The Avalon Project. Yale Law School.

Question 1

Short answer

What consequences did the act lay out for anyone aiding the escape of a fugitive slave?

Question 2

Short answer

How did the Fugitive Slave Act 1850 contribute to rising tension between the North and the South?

Question 3

Short answer

How did the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 endanger free Black Americans living in the North?

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