Fugitive Slave Act Of 1850 Dbq

The Unsuccessful Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 In the time of slavery, the North and the South struggled to find a balance over African Americans civil rights. The United States began to segregate into the Union states, those who did not support slavery, and the Confederate states, those who did support slavery. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was among one of the many acts enforced during this time. It was ultimately unsuccessful in establishing peace between the North and the South because it was not a peace intended act, it was ineffective, and it upset both sides. The first argument that supports the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 being unsuccessful in establishing peace is the act was not intended to make peace between the North and South, but rather to preserve the Union. The pressure being put upon Congress to preserve the Union was continually increasing as the North and South argued

The North played a big role for freed slaves; It was the side that supported the freedom of slaves, and also the side that provided help to free slaves. When Congress passed The Fugitive Slave Act, which tried to prevent the North from playing such an important role for slaves, Northerners chose to ignore the act. Some Northerners organized secret safe houses along the route of the Underground Railroad, led by Harriet Tubman, to provide protection from the law. Several Northern states passed “Personal Liberty Laws” to counteract the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 (The Editors). These laws helped by giving slaves, who have escaped, jury trials, and these laws also forbid some Northern states from participating in the Fugitive Slave Act. In 1860 the act was repealed, and only 330 slaves had been returned to their slave owners (History.com). The North went around the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 in its entirety, making the act completely