Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

Long title	An Act to amend, and supplementary to, the Act entitled "An Act respecting Fugitives from Justice, and Persons escaping from the Service of their Masters", approved February twelfth, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three.
Enacted by	the 31st United States Congress
Citations
Public law	Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 31–60
Statutes at Large	9 Stat. 462
Legislative history
Introduced in the Senate as S. 23 by James M. Mason (D–VA) on January 4, 1850 Committee consideration by Senate Judiciary Passed the Senate on August 23, 1850 (27-12) Passed the House on September 12, 1850 (109–76) Signed into law by President Millard Fillmore on September 18, 1850
Major amendments
Repealed by Act of June 28, 1864, 13 Stat. 200

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The Fugitive Slave Act or Fugitive Slave Law was a law passed by the 31st United States Congress on September 18, 1850,^[1] as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern interests in slavery and Northern Free-Soilers.

The Act was one of the most controversial elements of the 1850 compromise and heightened Northern fears of a slave power conspiracy. It required that all escaped slaves, upon capture, be returned to the enslaver and that officials and citizens of free states had to cooperate.^[2] The Act contributed to the growing polarization of the country over the issue of slavery. It was one of the factors that led to the American Civil War.