With anger.
They greatly resented being turned into unpaid slave-catchers, and this brought many new recruits to the cause of Abolitionism.
'Uncle Tom's Cabin' was written as a protest against the Act.
It drove the two sides further apart, and was a major cause of the Civil War.
fugitive slave lawsThe Fugitive Act
Some northerners responded to the Fugitive Slave Act by actively resisting its enforcement, such as participating in the Underground Railroad to help enslaved individuals escape to freedom. Others criticized the law as a violation of their principles and refused to comply with it, leading to tensions between northern states and the federal government. Additionally, some northerners organized protests and demonstrations to voice their opposition to the law.
The Fugitive Slave Law.
Fugitive Slave Act
Southerners expected Northerners to comply with the Fugitive Slave Act by helping to capture and return escaped slaves. However, many Northerners reacted with resistance, forming anti-slavery groups to hide and protect fugitive slaves and refusing to cooperate with authorities trying to enforce the law. This led to increased tensions between the North and South over the issue of slavery.
It angered Northerners, because they were forced to return slaves that had escaped back to their owners in the South.
Northerners, especially abolitionists, disliked the 'Bloodhound Law' as it required escaped slaves to be returned to their masters even if they were found in a free state. Northerners worried that the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was part of a vast conspiracy of the southern plantation elite.
Northerners were most pleased that California was admitted as a free state. The south was pleased that the fugitive slave act REQUIRED assistance in capturing runaway slaves or face imprisonment.
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 intensified opposition to slavery in the North by requiring northerners to assist in the capture and return of escaped slaves. This led to heightened tensions between pro- and anti-slavery factions, as many people in the North resented being forced to participate in the enforcement of slavery. The act also sparked a wave of resistance and defiance, with some northerners aiding fugitive slaves in their escape.
The Fugitive Slave Law angered the Northerners a lot.
The Fugitive Slave Act angered northerners because it required them to assist in the capture and return of escaped slaves, going against their beliefs in abolitionism and freedom. It also denied alleged fugitive slaves the right to a fair trial by jury, leading to fears of unjust apprehension and enslavement.
Many northerners would not report fugitives who were escaping slavery in the South because they opposed slavery and believed in helping individuals seeking freedom. Additionally, some northerners saw the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act as unjust and resisted cooperating with authorities seeking to return escaped slaves.