18 sept. 1850 - Fugitive Slave Act

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Caption: A cartoon criticizing the effects of the Fugitive Slave Act published in 1850

The Fugitive Slave Act was an act passed by Congress that made it mandatory for slaves to be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state. This law also included that citizens should make any effort to track fugitive slaves, and entire divisions were made to prevent any successful escapes from slavery. The act itself was enacted as a result of the compromise of 1850, making the Fugitive Slave Act a specific section in a larger suite of laws and deals passed. Combined with the already controversial opinions on the Compromise of 1850, as well as increasing opposition against the Act in the North, due to how strictly it was enforced, the Fugitive Slave Act greatly contributed to the Civil War by further increasing tensions among the North and South in the United States.

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