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. 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Repealed by Act of June 28, 1864, 13 Stat. 200

The Fugitive Slave Act (also called the Fugitive Slave Law) was made law by the US Congress on September 18, 1850. Part of the Compromise of 1850, the law required slaves who were caught after their escape to be sent back to their owners.

The law also required officials and private citizens of free states to co-operate in returning slaves who had fled. The law was hated in the North, which was required it to help slaveovners in the South. Massive resistance to the law was reason for the regions to grow further apart, which led to the American Civil War.