Fugitive+Slave+Act-ch

The Fugitive Slave Act was supposed to help slaveholders in the south but what it really did was cause hostility towards slavery from the north. This law said that a slaveholder could point out an alleged runaway and have them taken into custody. They weren't allowed to speak on their behalf and even those slaves who had earned their freedom in the North, still would be convicted. All the courts needed was a witness to the runaways and the slaves would be sent back South. The federal commissioners were also paid 10$ to rule for the slaveholders compared to the 5$ to rule for the slaves. This act also required federal marshals and sometimes even citizens to help slave catchers. Northerners were furious with this law and many rebelled because of it. One thing that helped the slaves escape up to the north was the Underground Railroad. This was a network of people willing to help the slaves earn their freedom. They gave them shelter and food and helped them get to the north. One famous Conductor of the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman. She helped many slaves earn their freedom by going over and over again to the slave states when she herself was a runaway slave. One major stop on the Underground Railroad was were author Harriett Beecher Stowe lived.She also helped thousands of slaves gain freedom. She later wrote a book called //Uncle Tom's Cabin.// This told the story of a slave named Tom owned by a vicious slave owner named Simon Legree. This book caused outrage in the South but in the North it stirred the people against slavery. Some historians say that this book was considered to be one of the causes of the Civil war.