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Fugitive Slave Act Facts & Worksheets

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The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the US Congress in 1793 and was later amended in 1850. These two US federal laws gave the government the power to capture and return runaway enslaved people within the American territory. However, they eventually ignited the flames of the American Civil War, instead of uniting America as they were intended to do. In 1864, both acts were repealed after growing numbers of abolitionists opposed and fought them.   For more information on the Fugitive Slave Act, read the fact file below or download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

  • The system of slavery in America started from the first shipping of enslaved Africans to the British colony of Jamestown, Virginia, during the early 17th century. The triangular trade or transatlantic slave trading intensified the shipping of enslaved Africans to the New World. Enslaved Africans served on plantations that generated income for the owners and became one of the central contributors to the American economy, both before and after the American Revolutionary War.
  • As early as 1643, state acts existed to control enslaved refugees and prevent them from being free. The New England Confederation, along with the other states from the original thirteen colonies, drafted laws to capture and return enslaved runaways.
  • Congress passed the first Fugitive Slave Act in 1793. It gave power to enslavers to be like bounty hunters: searching, capturing, and returning escaped enslaved people. The Northerners were alarmed as it was similar to tolerating the act of kidnapping. They also feared that their territories would become hunting grounds for the enslaved chasers.
  • Northerners did not impose the Fugitive Slave Act in their respective states. As a refusal, they passed the Personal Liberty Laws, which were later challenged through the Supreme Court case of Prigg v. Pennsylvania.
  • In the Constitutional Convention of 1787, most northern states, including New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, had already abolished slavery.
  • Amidst the 1793 law, the black population in Cass County, Michigan, increased. Runaways found the resistance of white settlers to slavery and the low cost of land, life-saving. Moreover, runaways had the support of the Quakers. 
  • In Missouri, the supreme court recognized the freedom of enslaved people if their enslavers voluntarily transported them to free states. 
  • Southern politicians blamed the abolitionist movement in the North for stirring up runaway enslaved people. 
  • States such as Indiana, Connecticut, New York, and Vermont provided suspected fugitives the right to a jury trial to prove their freedom. 
  • After the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Prigg v. Pennsylvania in 1842, Massachusetts, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island passed legislation forbidding state officials from enforcing the law.  

THE COMPROMISE OF 1850 AND THE FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT

  • By the mid-1800s, thousands of enslaved people sought refuge in the free states, and the Underground Railroad was one of the most prolific escape networks.  This triggered the Southern politicians to amend the first Fugitive Slave Act, and Henry Clay pioneered the passing of the reinforced Fugitive Slave Act through the Compromise of 1850.
  • Henry Clay was a southern Representative who drafted the Compromise of 1850, which included additional clauses for the strict enforcement of the fugitive slave act. It compelled citizens to capture runaways, and they were prohibited from undergoing a trial or facing a jury. Agents were hired to search and capture runaways with pay intentionally, and marshals who did not arrest fugitives were fined heavily. 
  • The Compromise of 1850 was an attempt of Clay to mend the growing sectional division between the Northern and the Southern states over states’ rights and slavery issues. 
  • The Fugitive Slave Clause states that enslaved fugitives  “shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due.” Enslaved people were addressed as property to retrieve by the enslavers as part of their property rights. 
  • Senator James M. Mason of Virginia specifically identified a fine of $1,000 for officials who refused to capture escaped enslaved people. Meanwhile, a person aiding a fugitive by providing food and shelter must pay $1,000 and face imprisonment of up to 6 months.
  • As a result of the amendment, many free Africans were kidnapped and returned to slavery. Despite having “free” papers, many were forced into slavery. Historian Carol Wilson suggests that in a book entitled Freedom at Risk, thousands were forced into slavery after 1850. As suspects, fugitive enslaved people had no right to be heard in a court or face a jury. 
  • A year later, riots, revolts, and rescue actions occurred as an outspoken refusal of the Fugitive Slave Act. States like Vermont, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and New York established large units to assist the runaway slaves. Northern politicians doubled their efforts in proposing acts to repeal or nullify the said slave act.
  • The Fugitive Slave Act was unenforceable in the free states of the north.

NULLIFICATION

  • In 1850, the Vermont legislature passed the Habeas Corpus Law, which provided judicial assistance to suspected enslaved fugitives. This act challenged federal law and caught national attention. This nullification act triggered US President Millard Fillmore to threaten Vermont to use the army in enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act.
  • In response to the law, Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852. 
  • In addition to the Northern free states, Canada had become a refuge for runaway enslaved people. Between 1850 and 1860, about 60,000 black population reached Canada through the Underground Railroad. 
  • In 1854, the Wisconsin Supreme Court declared the unconstitutionality of the Fugitive Slave Act. Personal liberty laws were also passed in Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Kansas between 1850 and 1858. South Carolina later used these state laws to justify its secession from the Union. 
  • When the American Civil War broke out, many enslaved people headed for Union lines. At first, Union soldiers returned runaways. However, generals such as Benjamin Butler captured enslaved fugitives and set them on free soil. 
  • Sponsored by Senator Lyman Trumbull, the Confiscation Act enacted in 1861 prohibited enslavers from re-enslaving captured runaways. 
  • In 1862, the Act Prohibiting the Return of Slaves declared enslaved people from Southern enslavers ipso facto free. 
  • The operation of the Fugitive Slave Act was also superseded by the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. The proclamation freed all enslaved people from the rebellious states. At the same time, it also opened the Union army and navy to African men. About 200,000 enslaved African-American men served in the Union when the war ended. 
  • On June 28, 1864, both of the Fugitive Slave Acts were finally repealed by Congress.

Fugitive Slave Act Worksheets

This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use Fugitive Slave Act Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act which was passed by the US Congress in 1793 and was later amended in 1850. These two US federal laws gave the government the power to capture and return runaway slaves within the American territory.

Download includes the following worksheets:

  • Fugitive Slave Act Facts
  • America and Slavery
  • Famous Freedom Fighters
  • Mapping American States
  • Underground Railroad Word Search
  • North v. South
  • Everything About Abraham Lincoln
  • Photoline
  • 12 Years a Slave
  • Make a Stand!
  • Race After Centuries

 

Frequently Ask Questions

What did the Fugitive Slave Act do?

In 1793 and 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act stipulated the seizure and return of runaway enslaved people to their enslavers.

What are 3 facts about the Fugitive Slave Act?

Under the Fugitive Slave Act, aiding a runaway by giving food and shelter was punishable with 6 months imprisonment and a fine of $1000. The Act was one of the five laws in the Compromise of 1850, and many Northern states refused to enforce the act in their territories. 

Who benefitted from the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850?

Southern states and enslavers. 

Who did the Fugitive Slave Act punish?

The Fugitive Slave Act punishes runaway enslaved people, those aiding them, and those who refused to arrest them. 

What year did slavery end?

Slavery ended in the United States in 1865.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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