The tougher 1850 Fugitive Slave Act was an economical measure to have valuable slaves who escaped to the North to be returned. There were bounties for doing so and penalties for not following the law. It was political in that it brought the political issue of slavery to the non-slave North. Even President-elect Lincoln promised to enforce it. And, by having escaped slaves returned, it strengthened the social structure of the South. It also kept the North "white".
The Fugitive Slave Act was supported by Southern slaveholders and their political allies in the United States government. They saw the law as a way to uphold the Fugitive Slave Clause of the Constitution and protect their property rights in enslaved people.
fugitive slave lawsThe Fugitive Act
Individuals who supported the Fugitive Slave Act were those who believed in upholding the institution of slavery and enforcing laws that allowed slave owners to recapture escaped slaves. Pro-slavery advocates, Southern plantation owners, and politicians who favored preserving the economic and social system of slavery were most likely to support the Fugitive Slave Act.
The Atlantic Slave Trade had devastating social and economic effects on Africa. It led to the loss of millions of people who were taken as slaves, resulting in disruption of families and communities. The trade also contributed to political instability and economic underdevelopment in regions where slavery was prevalent.
the first fugitive slave law was passed in 1793.
California was to be admitted as a free state.
Southerners wanted a Fugitive Slave Act to ensure the return of escaped slaves from free states. This was important to maintain their economic system based on slavery and to prevent slave runaways from seeking refuge in the North. The act also helped to enforce the Fugitive Slave Clause in the U.S. Constitution, which required escaped slaves to be returned to their owners.
The Fugitive Slave Law
The fugitive slave law lasted until 1765 to 1776.
The Fugitive Slave Act made it illegal for anyone to assist or harbor a fugitive slave, and mandated that law enforcement officials in free states capture and return escapees to their owners in slave states. Anyone found guilty of aiding a fugitive slave could be fined or imprisoned.
An individual who supported the institution of slavery and believed in the preservation of the Union at all costs would most likely support the Fugitive Slave Act. The Fugitive Slave Act allowed for the capture and return of escaped slaves, reinforcing the pro-slavery sentiment in the southern states and ensuring the continued economic stability of slave owners.
The Fugitive Slave Act forced many people to consider the pros and cons of slavery in the United States. The effect of the Fugitive Slave Act was the freeing of slaves.