Fugitive Slave Acts Dbq

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The Fugitive Slave Laws allowed for slave owners to capture their runaway slave if they were within the United States territory (Fugitive Slave Acts). They started in 1793 and anyone who was caught aiding a slave escape was also punished. In 1850 another slave law was passed to allow for harsher punishment on runaways. By 1864 both of the laws were revoked by Congress. Fugitive slave acts started as early as 1643 and were passed in all thirteen original colonies (Fugitive Slave Acts). They allowed for free blacks to be captured illegally and sold immediately into slavery. By 1787 the vast majority of Northern states had already begun to abolish slavery and were declaring it illegal. In 1793 the first fugitive slave act was passed by congress