The Fugitive Slave Act is a federal law passed in the United States in 1850 as part of the 1850 Compromise. By law, all runaway slaves, no matter where they were captured, must be returned to their masters. It also made it a crime to assist or assist runaway slaves, including those who provided food, shelter, or transportation.
The Fugitive Slave Act had a significant impact on subway travel. The Underground Railroad was a network of secret passages and shelters used by enslaved people to escape to freedom.
With the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law, the risks of aiding escaped slaves increased significantly. Those who assisted escaped slaves could face heavy fines and imprisonment, which forced many conductors and stationmasters of the Underground Railroad to operate in secrecy and take extra precautions.
The Fugitive Slave Law also led to increased violence and tensions between slave catchers and abolitionists. The law empowered slave catchers to pursue escaped slaves into free states, often resulting in violent confrontations with abolitionists who were attempting to protect the escaped slaves.
Overall, the Fugitive Slave Law made it more difficult for enslaved individuals to escape to freedom and heightened tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery advocates in the United States.