The Jerry Rescue, And The Fugitive Slave Act Of 1850

The Jerry Rescue, and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 As the nation descended further into a split entity, with the issue of slavery at the forefront of the debate. The North and South needed to find a way to deal with their differences before the Union fell in shambles. The Compromise of 1850 was passed after long extensive debate in congress, the compromise was intended to settle the debate over how slavery would be controlled throughout the expanding nation. The Fugitive Slave Act was included in the compromise to satisfy southern states, that wanted to preserve the institution of slavery. The act allowed for run away slaves to be hunted down and returned to their past owners, even after they made it to the free states in the North. The Southerners wished to preserve their right to property, which is among the â€Å"Unalienable Rights†. Some northern states refuse to recognize the law which infuriated the South because they saw this as an explicit violation of the slave hold er’s rights, this intensified the South’s urge to become a separate State. The Fugitive Slave Act relied on a corrupt judicial system that paid judges according to their judgments on a case, a judge could have been paid more for returning a â€Å"fugitive slave† back into slavery rather than returning them to freedom. The people of the North were, for the most part, in opposition to the fugitive slave act, so it wasn’t uncommon for fugitive slaves to be â€Å"overlooked† by members of their community. These flawsShow MoreRelatedHistory IA on Slavery1380 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿To what extent did the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 weaken political unification between the North and South through 1865? C. Evaluation of Sources Equal Protection and the African American Constitutional Experience (2000) is a compilation of over a hundred primary source documents. The primary sources (legislation, letters, testimony and more) were compiled, edited and analyzed by Robert P. Green, a â€Å"distinguished professor† who claims a Masters in United States History, a Bachelors in History