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Fugitive Slave Acts - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) The Fugitive Slave Acts were statutes, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1793 and 1850, that provided for the capture and return of escaped slaves to their owners. These laws applied even if an escaped slave was captured in a free state or territory.
It is important to realize that while conductors and fugitive slaves were participating on the Underground Railroad, all of their actions were illegal. The federal government had passed Fugitive Slave Acts as early as 1793 that allowed slave catchers to come north and force runaways back into slavery. By the 1830s and 1840s, these laws were expanded in reaction to increased Underground Railroad activity. With the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, assisting or helping hide fugitive slaves became a federal offense, making all Underground Railroad activity subject to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine. Escaping from slavery or helping someone to escape from slavery was a very difficult and dangerous task.