The Fugitive Slave Act was passed by Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of a compromise allowing California to enter the Union as a free state and ending the slave trade in the District of Columbia. It required all citizens to aid in the capture and return of any fugitive enslaved or formerly enslaved person. The passage and enforcement of this law enraged many people in the North–even those who were not ardent abolitionists. This article pokes fun at the “free soilers” (abolitionists) who kept changing their minds about who was to blame for the law. Henry Clay and Daniel Webster both supported the compromise that lead to the act. The plan seemed destined to fail until Millard Fillmore became president in July. With the administration behind them, the compromise bills passed and were signed by the president to become law. The compromise divided the Whig party and eventually lead to the downfall of the party.
Greenfield Gazette and Courier. “Several Fathers.” March 31, 1851. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l09-006/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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