The
Fugitive Slave Act for kids: The Constitution and the 1793
Fugitive Slave Act
Article 4, Section 2, Clause 3 of the U.S.
Constitution (called the
Fugitive Slave Clause) provides that persons held to service in one
state escaping into another state shall be returned to the slave
owner. Slaves lived under heavy restrictions and passes were
required for all slaves working or traveling outside the plantation.
In 1793 Congress passed a law called the 1793 Fugitive Slave Act to
carry out this provision of the Constitution.
The
Fugitive Slave Act: Avoiding the 1793
Fugitive Slave Act
Many Northern states wanted to
evade the act and some states passed "personal liberty laws" giving
the right of a jury trial before fugitive slaves could be moved -
many of these juries refused to convict fugitives charged under the
Act. Other states in the North forbade the use of local jails, or
the assistance of state officials, in the arrest or return of
runaway slaves.
The
Fugitive Slave Act: The
1850
Fugitive Slave Act
The 1793 Act was therefore not particularly effective because its
enforcement had been left to the states, and public opinion in the
North was opposed to the return of runaway, fugitive slaves. The law
of 1850 increased harsher penalties against runaway slaves and the
people who helped them. It also the power to United States to
enforce the law by arresting or returning runaway slaves and led to
the formation of slave patrols.
The End of the Fugitive Slave Act
The end of the Fugitive Slave Act
● Both the
Acts were officially repealed by an act of Congress on June 28,
1864
● The
13th
Amendment was passed on January 31, 1865 abolishing slavery
1793
Fugitive Slave Act for kids
1793
Fugitive Slave Act
The 1793 Act
gave slave owners the right to recover escaped fugitive slaves and
required citizens to help in the return of an escaped slave from one
state to another.
What was the Purpose of the
1793 Fugitive Slave Act?
Why was the 1793 Fugitive Slave Act enacted? The
purpose of the 1793 Act was
carry out the provision of Article 4, Section 2, Clause 3 in the
Constitution.
● The
fugitive law imposed a $500 penalty on any person who helped to
hide escaped slaves
What was the Significance of the
1793 Fugitive Slave Act?
The significance of the 1793 Fugitive Slave Act was that:
● Legal,
organized, Slave Patrols were established in the south
● The law
was seldom enforced in the north, because its enforcement had
been left to the states
● Public
opinion in the North gradually strengthened against slavery
1850
Fugitive Slave Act for kids
1850
Fugitive Slave Act
The 1850 Act
increased penalties against fugitive slaves and any
people who helped them.
In 1850, the
value of male slaves was over $2000. The 1850
Fugitive Slave Act was nicknamed it the "Bloodhound
Law" by Abolitionists because dogs were used
by slave catchers to track down fugitives.
Why was the
1850 Fugitive Slave Act enacted?
The reason
the 1850 law was enacted was as a concession to the Southern slave
states as part of the
Compromise of 1850 which
sought to obtain agreement between the Southern
states and the Northern Free States as to the status
of territories acquired during the
Mexican-American
War (1846–1848).
● Thousands
of slaves had escaped from slavery in the
Slave States of the
South to the Free States in the North
● The
Abolishment Movement
was established in 1830 and the number of its supporters was
growing
● The
Underground Railroad was established in1832 to help fugitive
slaves and many slaves escaped to Canada
What were the effects of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act?
The effects
of
the 1850 Act were:
● The Fugitive
Slave Act was strengthened
● Penalties for
helping slaves were increased to $1000 and six
months in jail
● It penalized
United States officials who did not arrest a
alleged runaway slaves
● Runaway
slaves were not entitled to a jury trial
● Runaway
slaves were not allowed to testify on their own
behalf
What was the Significance of the
1850 Fugitive Slave Act?
The significance of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act was that:
● The law
further increased the ill feeling between the
people of the two sections of the nation
● The 1850
Fugitive Slave Law, together with the
publication of
Uncle Tom's Cabin
by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852,
convinced the Northerners that bounds must be
set to the extension of slavery
● The use of slave patrols came to an end when
the Civil War
ended but are linked to post civil war groups
such as the Ku Klux Klan
● This act was
one of the
Causes of the Civil War
Black
History for kids: Important People and Events
For visitors interested in African American History
refer to
Black History - People and Events.
A useful resource for
teachers, kids, schools and colleges undertaking
projects for the Black History Month.
Fugitive Slave Act for kids - President Zachary Taylor Video
The article on the
law and slavery provides an overview of one of the Important issues of his presidential term in office. The following Zachary Taylor video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the
political events experienced by the 12th American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1849 to July 9, 1850.
Fugitive Slave Act
●
Interesting Facts
about 1793 and 1850 Acts for kids and schools
●
The 1793 and 1850 Acts, Important
events in US history
●
Definition of the 1793 and 1850 Fugitive Slave acts
●
Zachary Taylor Presidency from March 4, 1849 to July 9, 1850
●
Zachary Taylor
Important events in his presidency
●
Foreign & Domestic
policies of President Zachary Taylor
● Zachary Taylor Presidency and
the 1850 Act for schools,
homework, kids and children |