Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 Terrorizes Free Black Communities

The Fugitive Slave Act, signed September 18, 1850, requires Northern citizens to assist in capturing self-emancipated people. It strips accused fugitives of jury trials and habeas corpus. Federal commissioners earn $10 for returning an accused fugitive, $5 for releasing them. Thousands of free Black people in the North flee to Canada. The law makes all Black people in America unsafe.