What effect did the Figitive Slave Act have?
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 had several significant effects on both enslaved and free African Americans, as well as on the broader social and political climate in the United States. Some of the main effects include:
1. Increased danger for escaped slaves: The Act made it easier for slaveholders to recapture escaped slaves by requiring that they only needed to provide an affidavit to a federal marshal to bring back the fugitive. This made it difficult for escaped slaves to find safe havens in the free states, and some were even captured and returned to slavery after living in freedom for many years.
2. Forced involvement of the general population: The Fugitive Slave Act required citizens to assist in the capture of escaped slaves, and imposed fines or imprisonment for those who refused to comply or aided fugitives. This angered many people in the North who were morally opposed to slavery and feared that the Act could potentially lead to the capture of free blacks who were mistaken for fugitives.
3. Polarization of public opinion: The Act further intensified the already divided public opinion on the issue of slavery, causing many people in the North to become more vocal in their opposition. The Act contributed to the growth of the abolitionist movement and provoked greater activism around the issue of slavery. Additionally, the controversial trials and public handling of fugitive slaves further galvanized public opinion against the Act.
4. Growth of the Underground Railroad: The increased danger faced by escaped slaves drove more people, both black and white, to participate in the Underground Railroad, an organized system of secret routes and safe houses used to help escaped slaves reach freedom in Canada or other free territories.
5. Influence on literature and art: The Fugitive Slave Act and the stories of escaped slaves captured the imagination of writers and artists, leading to the creation of several influential works, such as Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin," which helped raise awareness of the plight of slaves and the cruelty of the Act.
6. Escalating tensions between North and South: The Act further deepened the already existing tensions between the pro-slavery South and the anti-slavery North, contributing to the series of events that eventually led to the secession of the Confederate states and the eruption of the American Civil War in 1861.