Final answer:
The first Fugitive Slave Law was passed in 1793, making it illegal to impede the capture of runaway slaves. It was intensified with the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, which increased penalties and required citizens' cooperation in capturing escaped slaves.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first Fugitive Slave Law, which made it illegal to hinder the capture of runaway slaves, was passed in the year 1793. This law was later reinforced by a more stringent version, the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850. The law of 1850 was much harsher and required all citizens to assist in the capture of fugitive slaves, penalizing those who did not comply. US Marshals had the power to deputize civilians to aid in the pursuit of runaways and imposed significant fines and imprisonment on those who refused to help or interfered with the process.
The act's enforcement led to increased tensions between the North and the South, especially as it made it possible for free blacks in the North to be forced back into slavery without the right to a jury trial or the ability to testify in their own defense. Corruption was incentivized as commissioners were granted higher fees if they decided in favor of the slaveholder over the accused. This legal framework ultimately contributed to heightened sectional conflict, leading up to events such as John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry, and played a role in the advent of the Civil War.