Fugitive Slave Act of 1793

E261347

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 was a U.S. federal law that provided legal mechanisms for slaveholders to recover escaped enslaved people from free states, reinforcing the institution of slavery across state lines.

All labels observed (2)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal law
fugitive slave law
affected free Black people in the United States
alsoKnownAs Fugitive Slave Act of 1793
surface form: An Act respecting fugitives from justice, and persons escaping from the service of their masters
appliesTo escaped enslaved people
free states
slave states
authorized slaveholders or their agents to seize alleged fugitives
use of summary proceedings to determine fugitive status
conflictedWith Northern personal liberty laws
constitutionalBasis Article IV, Section 2 of the United States Constitution
Fugitive Slave Clause
country United States of America
surface form: United States
dateEnacted 1793-02-12
effect facilitated kidnapping of free Black people into slavery
increased tension between free and slave states
provoked resistance in Northern states
followedBy Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
historicalEra Antebellum period
surface form: antebellum period
historicalPeriod Early Republic of the United States
impact strengthened federal support for slaveholders
undermined legal protections for free Black residents in free states
interpretedBy Prigg v. Pennsylvania
surface form: Prigg v. Pennsylvania (1842)
jurisdiction United States government
surface form: United States federal government
language English
ledTo passage of personal liberty laws in some Northern states
legalDomain federal-state relations
slavery law
legislativeBody United States Congress
penalized individuals who aided fugitive slaves
individuals who obstructed the recapture of fugitives
penaltyType civil damages
fines
precededBy Fugitive Slave Clause
surface form: Fugitive Slave Clause of the United States Constitution
providedFor capture of alleged fugitive slaves
return of alleged fugitive slaves to slaveholders
use of federal and state officials to assist in recapture
purpose to enforce the Fugitive Slave Clause of the United States Constitution
to provide a legal mechanism for slaveholders to recover escaped enslaved people
reinforcedInstitution slavery in the United States
relatedTo Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
repealedBy Civil War–era abolition of slavery
Thirteenth Amendment
surface form: Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
signedBy George Washington
status repealed
subjectOf Prigg v. Pennsylvania
typeOfProvision extradition-like procedure for enslaved people
yearEnacted 1793

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Fugitive Slave Clause implementedBy Fugitive Slave Act of 1793
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 replaced Fugitive Slave Act of 1793
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 strengthened Fugitive Slave Act of 1793
Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 alsoKnownAs Fugitive Slave Act of 1793
this entity surface form: An Act respecting fugitives from justice, and persons escaping from the service of their masters
Prigg v. Pennsylvania relatedStatute Fugitive Slave Act of 1793
Underground Railroad routes legalContext Fugitive Slave Act of 1793