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Which of the following statements about the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 is accurate? a. It was supported by abolitionists. b. It was used to recapture thousands of runaway slaves. c. It was not controversial. d. It required citizens to help locate and return runaway slaves.

User Mcestone
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Final answer:

Among the given statements, the accurate ones regarding the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 are that it was used to recapture runaway slaves and it required citizens to help locate and return such slaves. The Act was controversial, not supported by abolitionists, and is often seen as a manifestation of the Slave Power conspiracy.

Step-by-step explanation:

Looking at the options given about the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, the accurate statements are: b. It was used to recapture thousands of runaway slaves, and d. It required citizens to help locate and return runaway slaves. This Act was controversial and definitely not supported by abolitionists. It heavily pushed people in the Northern states to play the role of de-facto slave-catchers, even against their will, and penalized those who chose not to comply. Contrary to the commitment of southerners to states' rights and backlash against federal interference, they used the power of the federal government through this Act to bend the northerners to their will. Hence, the Act is seen as a demonstration of the Slave Power conspiracy and a representation of the disproportionate influence wielded by the elite slaveholders.

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User Gregory MOUSSAT
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