The Fugitive Slave Acts Of 1793 And 1850

Slavery existed in the United States from 1620 to 1862. For 242 year’s enslaved Africans encountered brutal and harsh treatments which included, but did not limit to emotional and psychological abuse and most of all physical abuse. Many white slave owners switched from the labor system of indentured servitude to slavery of Africans for economic gains and political power. Allowing several key structures in American life such as court decisions, and federal and state legislations which resulted in white slave owners increase of power over enslaved Africans, ultimately making slavery harder and harder to abolish.

When the United States Constitution was written in 1787, the founding fathers included the ⅗ compromise; this categorized enslaved

White slave owners were able to strengthen their power over time, one example was the Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850. Theses acts were passed to prevent slave rebellions and further restrict their human, political and economic rights. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793, enforced in the Constitution, authorized any judge or state magistrate to decide the status of an alleged fugitive slave without jury trial. Although most Southern states supported these acts, the Northern states opposed these acts; creating the personal-liberty laws. The personal liberty laws, passed by the Northern States, was created to protect escaped and freed Africans in the North. While the Fugitive Slave acts of 1793 were not a unanimous decision, many Northern states such as New York and Vermont allowed freed and escaped blacks rights to a jury trial and attorney. It was not until the Supreme Court ruled this a federal law that the enslaved slaves were also stripped of this right everywhere, whether it be in the North or South. Thus, helping the South gain a stronger influence over enslaved Africans. The urge for a stronger hold on enslaved Africans resulted in a second enactment of The Fugitive Slave Act, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 further restricted the enslaved Africans natural rights by preventing them from speaking in court on their behalf. This also created more fears for

Unlike the Underground Railroad, the Reverse Underground Railroad kidnapped the escaped slaves in free-states and brought them back to the South where they were re-sold and brought back into slavery. This business was unjust and selfish. Ran by gangs of kidnappers, the kidnappers often physically and psychologically abused the slaves to the point where they no longer saw themselves as humans, but property. There were no consequences if these kidnappers were caught because it was very hard for blacks to prove their freedom. Even if they did have their freedom papers, most judges would not accept them for fear they were forged. Yet innocence and freedom could not be proven because of the restrictions blacks had especially in the judicial system. The only way a captured black person could be freed was if a white person verified their freedom. This was very unlikely for fear that they be in violation of a law or persecuted for helping a black person. The reasoning for the Reverse Underground Railroad and the necessity to have a such a strong organization was the fear of the decreasing numbers of slaves in the South which would have resulted in economic loss in their beloved staple crops. In addition the fear of enslaved African revolts that would be carried out was a strong reason for them to perform these inhumane actions. When in reality there were only a