Issue of The Anti-Slavery Bugle featuring an article on the Fugitive Slave Law, October 12, 1850
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Cameron, Chantal
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An issue of The Anti-Slavery Bugle, Salem, Ohio, dated October 12, 1850. The front page contains a lengthy article on the Fugitive Slave Law. It begins by describing a meeting of citizens opposed to the Fugitive Slave Law in Pittsburgh where several speeches were made, followed by the reaction of colored people who were choosing to flee to Canada.
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The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 stipulated that refugees from enslavement living in the Northern States could be returned to slavery in the South if captured. This new act strengthened the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 which gave slaveholders the right to capture escaped slaves, but did not require states to enforce it. Many Northern States simply ignored the act until the revised 1850 law, which made it illegal to assist escaped slaves in any way or obstruct their capture. The 1850 Act prompted thousands of slaves to flee to Canada. It has been estimated that between 1850 and 1860, 15,000 to 20,000 black people settled in Canada. Many used the Underground Railroad during their escape. The Act was repealed in 1864.
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Except where otherwised noted, this item's license is described as CC0 1.0 Universal