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Article: Buffalo's Antebellum African American Community and The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
- Article from:
- Afro - Americans in New York Life and History
- Article date:
- July 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier Jul 2003. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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On September 18, 1850, President Millard Fillmore signed the Fugitive Slave Law, the most controversial element of the Compromise of 1850. This law has been characterized as "one of the most shameful legislative measures in American history."(2) The law, which shored up the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793, greatly expanded federal judicial authority and directed federal authorities to adopt a more direct role in guaranteeing the security of slavery. It entrusted entirely to federal officials apprehension and repatriation of fugitive slaves. An expanded number of United States Commissioners based in cities throughout the country were authorized to issue warrants for the arrest of alleged fugitive ...