"And be it further enacted, That when a person held to service or labor in any State or Territory of the United States, has heretofore or shall hereafter escape into another State or Territory of the United States, the person or persons to whom such service or labor may be due... may pursue and reclaim such fugitive person." — Fugitive Slave Act, 1850
Which earlier development most directly motivated Congress to strengthen federal enforcement of fugitive recapture in 1850?
- Acheck_circle
Northern personal liberty laws and weak enforcement of the 1793 fugitive slave statute
- B
The expansion of the Underground Railroad into the Caribbean
- C
The repeal of the Missouri Compromise line in northern territories
- D
The publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin and resulting public outrage
Explanation
Slaveholders complained that Northern personal liberty laws and lax enforcement of the 1793 statute made recapture nearly impossible, prompting demands for a stronger federal law as part of the Compromise of 1850.