The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 required that all runaway slaves be returned to their owners, even if they were in free states. This law caused outrage among abolitionists and Northerners who opposed slavery, as it forced them to participate in the capture and return of slaves. It also fueled tensions between the North and the South, as it heightened the divide between the two regions over the issue of slavery. The Act led to increased conflict and animosity between the North and the South, further pulling the nation apart on the brink of the Civil War.
