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The phenomenon of slaves running away and seeking to gain freedom is as old as the institution of slavery itself. In the history of slavery in the United States, "fugitive slaves" (also known as runaway slaves) were slaves who left their master and traveled without authorization; generally they tried to reach states or territories where slavery was banned, including Canada. Most slave law tried to control slave travel by requiring them to carry official passes if traveling without a master. Passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 increased penalties against fugitive slaves and people who aided them. Because of this, fugitive slaves tried to leave the United States altogether, traveling to Canada or Mexico. During the time slavery was legal in the United States, approximately 100,000 slaves escaped to freedom. ==History== The United States Constitution included language to protect slavery, and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 implemented rules requiring citizens to aid in the return of escaped slaves to their owners. In practice, both citizens and governments of free states often supported the escape of fugitive slaves. Fugitive slaves early in U.S. were sought out just as they were through the Fugitive slave law years, but early efforts included only Wanted posters, flyers etc. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 strengthened provisions for the recapture of slaves, and offered them no protection in the justice system. Bounty hunters and civilians could lawfully capture escaped slaves in the North, or any other place, using little more than an affidavit, and return them to the Slave master. Many escaped slaves upon return were to face harsh punishments such as amputation of limbs, whippings, branding, and many other horrible acts.〔Bland, Lecater Bland, ''Voices of the Fugitives: Run-away Slave Stories and Their Fictions of Self Creation'' Greenwood Press, 2000〕 Individuals who aided fugitive slaves were charged and punished under this law. In the case of (''Ableman v. Booth'' ), Booth was charged with aiding Glover's escape in Wisconsin by preventing his capture by Federal Marshals. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was unconstitutional for requiring states to go against their own laws in protecting slavery. ''Ableman v. Booth'' was appealed by the federal government to the US Supreme Court, which upheld the constitutionality of the Act.〔()〕 Many states tried to nullify the new slave act or prevent capture of escaped slaves by setting up new laws to protect their rights. One of the most notable is the (Massachusetts Liberty Act ). This Act was passed in order to keep escaped slaves from being returned to their masters through abduction by Federal Marshals or bounty hunters.〔()〕 The Underground Railroad had developed as a way in which free blacks and whites (and sometimes slaves) aided fugitive slaves to reach freedom in northern states. "Stations" were set up in private homes, churches, caves, barns and hidden places, to give escaped slaves places to stay on their way. People who maintained the stations provided food, clothing and shelter to the fugitives, and sometimes guides along the way. This is probably one of the most well known ways that abolitionists aided slaves out of the south and into northern states. In this manner the slaves would go from house to house of either whites or freed blacks where they would receive shelter, food, clothing etc. Now when the slaves were found gone, most masters did everything they could to find their lost “property.” Flyers would be put up, posses to find him/her would be sent out, and under the new Fugitive Slave Act they could now send federal marshals into the north to extract them. This new law also brought up bounty hunters to the game of returning slaves to their masters; a “slave” who had already been freed could be brought back into the south to be sold back into slavery if he/she was without freedom papers. In 1851 there was a case of a black coffeehouse waiter who was snatched by federal marshals on behalf of John Debree, who claimed the man to be his property.〔Schwarz, Frederic D. American Heritage, February/March 2001, Vol. 52 Issue 1, p96〕 Even though the man had escaped earlier, his case was brought before the Massachusetts supreme court to be tried. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Fugitive slaves in the United States」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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