The Fugitive Slave Act

The Fugitive Slave Act was enacted on September 18, 1850 and stated that citizens must return all run-away slaves to their masters. It was most probably the most controversial act of the 1850 compromise. The abolitionists nicknamed the fugitive slave act the “Bloodhound Law” because of the dogs that were used to track down fugitive slaves.

An example of a common poster found after the Act was passed