Fugitive Slave Act (jan 7, 1850 – dec 18, 1850)
Description:
The Fugitive Slave Act was a part of the Compromise of 1850. It made it illegal for slaves to flee to the North to become free and allowed the Southern slave owners to go into Northern states to claim their slaves again. The federal government would pay bounties for the capturing of slaves. This led to people "mistaking" free African Americans as runaway slaves and could take them with little issue. They would be taken to court before being sent back, but as slaves didn't have rights back then, it was nearly impossible to argue anything in court for African Americans. The tension between the North and South grew considerably as the South would practically be invading the North to kidnap their citizens for a quick buck.Added to timeline:
Date:
jan 7, 1850
dec 18, 1850
~ 11 months