Fugitive Slave Act
1850 · 19th Century
The Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slave-holding interests and Northern Free-Soilers. The Act required all escaped slaves, upon capture, be returned to their owners and that officials and citizens of free states had to cooperate in this law enforcement. It was one of the most controversial elements of the compromise and heightened tensions that ultimately led to the Civil War.
Key Figures
Stephen A. DouglasHenry ClayMillard FillmoreDaniel WebsterJames M. Mason
Locations
Washington, D.C.United States Capitol
Topics
slaveryblack historyUSAcongress
Connected Events — 2 Connections
Fugitive Slave Act treatment of enslaved persons as recoverable property reinforced the legal framework Taney cited in denying Black citizenship in Dred Scott Dred Scott v. Sanford
The Negro Act established a legal framework treating enslaved people as property and restricting their movement, creating precedent for federal fugitive slave legislation including the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 Negro Act of 1740
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