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In the US, an escaped slave became in danger if he was discovered away from his owners land. And, also if an unfriendly Northerner turned him in to the authorities. Also, as part of the 1850 Missouri Compromise, the Fugitive Slave Law was an attachment. This law punished people who helped slaves escape and offered "cash incentives" to judges and other Northerners who turned in escaped slaves. As part of Lincoln's way to "calm down" Southern concerns, he promised to enforce that law. This allowed for corruption, as any free Black in the North could be "captured" and be called a fugitive slave. Documentation of free Blacks in the North was not always available. Many states ignored the law.

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9y ago

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