Legislation1850
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 Signed
President Millard Fillmore signed the Fugitive Slave Act, requiring citizens and officials in free states to assist in the capture and return of escaped enslaved people. The law imposed severe penalties on anyone who aided fugitives and denied accused persons the right to a jury trial.
Why It Matters
The Fugitive Slave Act galvanized the abolitionist movement and deepened the sectional crisis by forcing Northerners to confront the reality of slavery, contributing to the tensions that led to the Civil War.