Fugitive Slave Act

• Required runaway slaves to be returned

  Why would this anger Northerners?

Fugitive Slave Act

• Captured slaves went on trial without a jury

• What is wrong with this?

• Finder fee....cannot interfere

Fugitive Slave Act Reactions

• North

  • 8 states create personal liberty laws

  • African American communities create sanctuaries & vigilance committees

Fugitive Slave Act Reactions

• South

  • Stopping the return of slaves broke the law and Constitution

    • Why would the southern slave holders say this? (Next Slide....)

Fugitive Slave Act Reactions

• South

  • Slaves were viewed as property in the south...illegal to steal property or to not return lost property

Uncle Tom's Cabin

• Shows slave families coping with being sold

• Shows how slavery brings the worst out in white masters

​Tom rose up meekly, to follow his new master, and raised up his heavy box on his shoulder. His wife took the

baby in her arms to go with him to the wagon, and the children, still crying, trailed on behind.

A crowd of all the old and young hands on the place stood gathered around it, to bid farewell to their old associate.

"Why, Chloe, you bar it better'n we do !" said one of the women, who had been weeping freely.

"Fs done my tears!" she said, looking grimly at the

trader, who was coming up. "I does not feel to cry 'fore dat ar old limb, no how!"

"Get in I" said Haley to Tom, as he strode through the crowd of servants.

Tom got in, and Haley, drawing out from under the wagon seat a heavy pair of shackles, made them fast around each ankle. ---- Uncle Tom's Cabin pg. 76-77

Reactions

• North

  • looked @ slavery in a whole new way

• South

  • thought the book showed distortions

    of the truth and gave overstatements