The full content of this document is only available to subscribing institutions. More information can be found via www.amdigital.co.uk
If you believe you should have access to this document, click here to Login.
| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC01862 |
| From Archive Folder | Documents Relating to 1850 |
| Title | Read and ponder the Fugitive Slave Law! |
| Date | 1850 |
| Author | Fillmore, Millard (1800-1874) |
| Additional authors | Cobb, Howell (1815-1868); King, William R. (1786-1853) |
| Document Type | Broadside |
| Content Description | A large anti-Whig broadside, attacking Samuel A. Elliott of Boston, and re-printing the Fugitive Slave law. Emphasis added with capital letters in some sections. Declares that the law is against the Constitution, habeas corpus and Christianity. States that the law, "...tramples on the Constitution, by its denial of the sacred rights of Trial by Jury, Habeas Corpus, and Appeal..." Appeals to the public, "Freemen of Massachusetts, Remember, that Samuel A. Elliott of Boston, voted for this law, that Millard Fillmore, our Whig President approved it..." Contains three columns, a large banner headline, and text framed in black rules. Backed on linen. Printed at the Spy Office, with black borders. |
| Subjects | African American History Slavery US Constitution Religion Fugitive Slave Act Law Runaway Slave Whigs Habeas Corpus Civil Rights Christianity President |
| People | Fillmore, Millard (1800-1874) Cobb, Howell (1815-1868) King, William R. (1786-1853) |
| Place written | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Theme | African Americans; Slavery & Abolition; Government & Politics; Law; Religion |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859 |
| Additional Information | The most divisive element in the Compromise of 1850 was the Fugitive Slave Law, which permitted any African American to be seized and sent south solely on the affidavit of anyone claiming to be his or her owner. As a result, free blacks were in danger of being placed in slavery. The law also stripped runaway slaves of the right to a jury trial and the right to testify in their own defense. The law further stipulated that accused runaways stand trial in front of special commissioners, not a judge or a jury, and that the commissioners be paid $10 if a fugitive was returned to slavery but only $5 if the fugitive was freed--a provision that many Northerners regarded as a bribe to ensure that any black accused of being a runaway would be found guilty (the provision was justified by the supposed costs involved). Finally, the law required all U.S. citizens to assist in the capture of escapees. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |
| Transcript | Show/hide |