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The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 was one of a set of laws known collectively as the "Compromise of 1850" - originally drafted by Henry Clay as a package, but pushed through the Senate as individual bills. These bills included settlements about territory gained from the Mexican War, most notably the admission of California as a free state and the ending of slave trading within Washington D.C.

This Fugitive Slave Law strengthened earlier legislation, enabling slave owners or the agents to hunt down runaways in the Northern states, calling on those states to assist in the capture & return. But there was no due-process provision for those claimed to be runaway slaves, enabling slave owners to claim FREE blacks who may even have been long-time residents in the North.

These problems with the law led to widespread opposition in the North, even by those who did not oppose slavery per se. (Popular literature, esp. Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, increased this opposition.) Northern states began to pass "personal liberty laws" and refuse to turn over alleged runaways to slave-hunters.

This in turn infuriated many in the South, who regarded it as a Northern failure to live up to its Constitutional obligations. (Interestingly, they argued that the federal government ought to FORCE Northern states to co-operate, a position seriously undermining their supposed desire for "limited" national government and respect for "states rights".) In fact, complaints about Northern failure to comply with the Fugitive Slave Law were a central cause cited by several Southern states in their official "Declarations of Causes" for secession.

Clearly, this law was a major bone of contention pushing the country toward secession and civil war.

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When was fugitive slave law passed?

the first fugitive slave law was passed in 1793.


How long did the fugitive slave law last?

The fugitive slave law lasted until 1765 to 1776.


What was Henry clays role in the fugitive slave law?

Henry Clay's role in the Fugitive Slave Law was to renew the countries slave attitude.


Which of these was part of the Compromise of 1850?

California was to be admitted as a free state.


What part was the most controversial of the compromise of 1850?

The Fugitive Slave Law


What did northern states do to counter the fugitive slave law?

Northern states passed Personal Liberty laws to counteract the Fugitive Slave Law. These were meant to make the law equitable and to protect the rights of Freedmen and escaped slaves without nullifying the Fugitive Slave Law.


When did the fugitive slave law start?

1850


When was the fugitive slave law enacted?

1850


What year was the first fugitive slave law passed by congress?

In 1657 Virginia passed a fugitive slave law.


Who was involved with the fugitive slave law?

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Why was the Fugitive Slave Law included in the Compromise of 1850?

The Fugitive Slave Law was included in the Compromise of 1850 to address Southern concerns about the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act, which required the return of escaped slaves to their owners. This law was meant to appease the South and maintain the fragile balance between free and slave states in the Union.


Did uncle tom cabin led to the fugitive slave act?

No, it didn't. The Fugitive Slave Law was passed before the publication of the novel.