Millard Filmore
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Many abolitionists, such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, openly opposed the Fugitive Slave Act because they viewed it as supporting and perpetuating the institution of slavery. Northerners, in general, were also critical of the law as it forced them to aid in the capture and return of escaped slaves, which went against their own beliefs about freedom and justice.
A citizen who helped a runaway slave under the Fugitive Slave Act could be fined or imprisoned for aiding a fugitive slave. The act required citizens to assist in capturing and returning escaped slaves to their owners.
The Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850.
The Fugitive Slave Act made it illegal for anyone to assist or harbor a fugitive slave, and mandated that law enforcement officials in free states capture and return escapees to their owners in slave states. Anyone found guilty of aiding a fugitive slave could be fined or imprisoned.
The Fugitive Slave Act was supported by Southern slaveholders and their political allies in the United States government. They saw the law as a way to uphold the Fugitive Slave Clause of the Constitution and protect their property rights in enslaved people.
The Fugitive Slave Act was part of the Compromise of 1850, which was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850.