Fugitive slave

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In the history of slavery in the United States, "fugitive slaves" (or runaway slaves) were slaves who had escaped from their master to travel to a place where slavery was banned or illegal. Many went to northern territories including Pennsylvania and Massachussetts until the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed. Because of this, fugitive slaves had to leave the country, traveling to Canada or Mexico. During the time slavery was legal in the United States, approximately 100,000 slaves escaped to freedom.

Fugitive slaves early in U.S. were sought out just as they were through the Fugitive slave law years, but early efforts included only Wanted posters, flyers ect.. After the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed Bounty hunters and civilians could lawfully capture escaped slaves in the north, or any other place, and return them to the Slave master. Many escaped slaves upon return were to face harsh and horrid punishments such as amputation of limbs, whippings, branding, and many other unthinkable acts.[1] Escaped slaves were not the only ones sought after during these ordeals, people who aided escapees were also punished by legal law as seen in the case of Ableman v. Booth, where Booth was charged with aiding Glover's escape by preventing his capture from Federal Marshals. Many states tried to nullify the new slave act or prevent capture of escaped slaves by setting up new laws to protect their rights. This is shown in many forms of law, but one most notable is the Massachusetts Liberty Act. This Act was passed in order to keep escaped slaves from being returned to their masters by stopping the abduction of Federal Marshals or bounty hunters.[2] Also in the previously mentioned Supreme Court Case Ableman v. Booth, the actions that spurred the accused was the attempt of Wisconsin to rule The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 Unconstitutional.[3]

When mere laws didn't suffice to aid abolitionists, they along with the slaves turned to drastic measures in order to undermine slave owners. Such ideas as the Underground Railroad, breaking work tools ect...were used to either silently get back at them or just flat out stop slavery. Breaking work tools was a common way for slaves to get back at their masters.[4] By impeding the work they could do it also halted the amount of money that could be made off that slave by the master. The Underground Railroad is probably one of the most well known ways that abolitionists aided slaves out of the south and into northern states. In this manner the slaves would go from house to house of either whites or freed blacks where they would receive shelter, food, clothing ect..

Now when the slaves were found gone, most masters did everything they could to find their lost “property.” Flyers would be put up, posses to find him/her would be sent out, and under the new Fugitive slave Act they could now send federal marshals into the north to extract them. This new law also brought up bounty hunters to the game of returning slaves to their masters, even if the “slave” had already been freed he could be brought back into the south to be sold back into slavery if he/ she was without their freedom papers. In 1851 there was a case of a Black Coffee house waiter who was snatched by Federal Marshals on behalf of John Debree who claimed the man to be his property.[5] Even though the man had escaped earlier, his case was brought before the Massachusetts supreme court to be tried.

Contents

[edit] The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad was a network of abolitionists between 1816 and 1859 who helped fugitive slaves escape to freedom. The Religious Society of Friends(Quakers,) Baptists, Methodists and other religious sects helped in operating the Underground Railroad. Notable people who used the Underground Railroad include:

[edit] Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, part of the Compromise of 1850, was a law enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives that declared that all fugitive slaves be returned to their masters. Because the South agreed to have California enter as a free state, The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was created. The act was passed on September 18, 1850, and it was repealed on June 28, 1864.

[edit] Harriet Tubman

One of the most notable fugitive slaves of American history and conductors of the Underground Railroad is Harriet Tubman. Born in Dorchester County, Maryland around 1822, Tubman grew up a slave. As a young adult, Harriet Tubman escaped from her master’s plantation in 1849. Between 1850 and 1860 she helped approximately 300 slaves escape from slavery, including her parents. During this time, there was a $40,000 bounty over her head for anyone who could capture her and bring her back to slavery. Many people called her the “Moses of her people.” Harriet Tubman also worked as a spy during the American Civil War.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

v • d • e
Underground Railroad
People
Places
Events
Topics
See also: Slavery in the United States and Slavery in Canada
  1. ^ Bland, Lecater Bland, Voices of the Fugitives: Run away Slave stories and their fictions of self creation Greenwood Press, 2000
  2. ^ http://eca.state.gov/education/engteaching/pubs/AmLnC/br20.htm
  3. ^ http://www.wicourts.gov/about/organization/supreme/docs/famouscases01.pdf
  4. ^ Bland, Lecater Bland, Voices of the Fugitives: Run away Slave stories and their fictions of self creation Greenwood Press, 2000
  5. ^ Schwarz, Frederic D. American Heritage, Feb/Mar2001, Vol. 52 Issue 1, p96

* http://www.wicourts.gov/about/organization/supreme/docs/famouscases01.pdf

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