Final answer:
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 required citizens to assist in capturing runaway slaves and made it illegal to aid fugitives. It faced strong resistance in the North, where community members formed vigilance committees and passed laws to try to protect runaways and free blacks.
Step-by-step explanation:
The law enacted in 1793 that allowed masters or professional bounty hunters to seize runaway slaves even in free states and criminalized helping fugitives was the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. This law required citizens to assist in the capture of fugitive slaves on penalty of fines and imprisonment, and denied those suspected of being runaways the right to a jury trial and to testify in their own defense. Free blacks also faced the risk of being kidnapped and sold into slavery due to the ease with which their free status could be stripped away.
Despite the heavy penalties, Northern communities banded together to protect runaways, creating vigilance committees and passing 'personal liberty laws' to counteract the Fugitive Slave Act. The law was part of the Compromise of 1850 and contributed to escalations in tensions leading up to the Civil War. While it was designed to appease Southern slaveholders, it provoked resistance and civil disobedience, particularly in the North, and challenged the moral compass of many citizens who were uncomfortable with the idea of participating in the recapture of escaped slaves.