Fugitive Slave Act
     Runaways had always been a serious problem for the slaveholders. Thousands of slaves were escaping yearly, and with the organized efforts of the Underground Railroad, the problem became even more acute for the southern plantation owner.
After viewing the following sites, answer the following questions about this law:
 

                   1) What was the purpose of the Fugitive Slave Act passed in 1850

                   2) Why did the Compromise of 1850 negate an essential element of

                         the Missouri Compromise

                   3) Before 1850, explain what generally happened to runaways if

                         they made it to northern states like New York or Pennsylvania

                   4) There had been other laws concerning runaway slaves. How did

                        this new law differ in terms of the attitudes of the North and the

                        attitudes of the South
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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