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Fugit Slave Act Essay

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The United States Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850. It was part of a series of laws known as the Compromise of 1850, which aimed to resolve the conflict between Northern and Southern states over the issue of slavery. The Fugitive Slave Act made it a federal crime to assist a runaway slave and required citizens to return runaway slaves to their owners, even if they were in a free state. The law was highly controversial and sparked intense debate between those who supported slavery and those who opposed it. The Fugitive Slave Act remained in effect until the Civil War, and its legacy continues to be felt in the ongoing struggle for racial justice in the United States. Many Southern slave owners were losing their slaves as they …show more content…

The Fugitive Slave Act was highly controversial and sparked intense debate between those who supported slavery and those who opposed it. While supporters of slavery viewed the act as necessary to protect their rights, abolitionists and other opponents of slavery saw it as a gross violation of human rights and a threat to the principles of freedom and justice on which the United States was founded. Supporters of the Fugitive Slave Act argued that it was necessary to protect the rights of Southern slave owners and preserve the institution of slavery. They believed that the act was essential to prevent the loss of property and maintain the economic …show more content…

They believed that the act was morally wrong and that it perpetuated the institution of slavery by making it easier for slave owners to reclaim their property. Many opponents of the act also believed that it was unconstitutional and violated the rights of free people of color who could be falsely accused of being runaway slaves. Opponents of the Fugitive Slave Act also argued that it was a threat to the stability of the United States and could potentially lead to the outbreak of civil war. They believed that the act would further inflame tensions between the North and South and that it would make it more difficult to find a peaceful resolution to the issue of slavery. Some opponents of the act also argued that it would lead to increased violence against free people of color and could potentially lead to the establishment of a police state in which individual liberties were severely curtailed. Despite the controversy surrounding the Fugitive Slave Act, its opponents saw it as a violation of human rights and a threat to the stability of the United States. They believed that the act was unconstitutional and that it perpetuated the institution of slavery by making it easier for slave owners to reclaim their

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