Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

What it is

This statute, passed by the 31st Congress on September 18, 1850 as part of the Compromise of 1850, amended the earlier Fugitive Slave Act of 1793. It required officials and citizens in free states to help capture and return escaped slaves, denied suspects a jury trial, and punished anyone who aided a fugitive.

Why it matters

President Millard Fillmore signed this law and then insisted on enforcing it, a decision that badly damaged his standing in the North. The Act deepened the divide between North and South, angered many who saw it as forcing ordinary citizens to participate in slavery, and contributed to the political upheaval that led to the founding of the Republican Party and, eventually, the Civil War.

Why it matters

Look closer

• Who benefited from the rewards built into this law, and who suffered from it?
• Why might a law like this cause even people who disliked slavery to break it or resist it?
• What does the law's harsh penalties for helping a fugitive tell you about the pressures facing officials of the time?