What did the Fugitive Slave Act require?

The Fugitive Slave Act mandated the return of escaped slaves to their owners even from free states, which was a key component of the legislation passed in 1850. This law was part of the Compromise of 1850, intended to ease tensions between slave-holding and non-slaveholding states. By doing so, it reinforced the institution of slavery and ensured that slaveholders could reclaim their property regardless of where it had escaped.

This act was controversial and met with significant resistance in free states, where many abolitionists and ordinary citizens opposed the idea of capturing and returning escaped slaves. The requirement not only affected the slaves themselves but also placed legal obligations on citizens and officials in free states to assist in the capture of fugitives, which contributed to heightened tensions leading up to the Civil War.