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Because they reacted badly to the Fugitive Slave Act, which turned every citizen into an unpaid slave-catcher. And they had read 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', which was written as a protest against it. That novel had drawn attention to the Underground Railroad, the safe-house system that smuggled runawayslaves into Canada.

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15y ago

It required northerners to help recapture runaway slaves which was disliked either on moral grounds as it was for abolitionists but also in some reasons of fear of a Slave Power Conspiracy with the Southern Slaves States holding greater power over Congress than the North, many northerners in the mid 1800s believed many of the politicians in power were under the thumb of Southerners. This act in particular placed fines on people who would not cooperate and jail terms on people who helped fugitives escape. Also, southern slave catchers (aka federal marshals) roamed the North, sometimes capturing free African Americans with little regard for if they were free or fugitive slaves.

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Q: Why did northerners support runaway slaves?
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What act required northerners to capture runaway slaves?

The Fugitive Slave Law.


What describes the position of the most northerners towards slavery?

Some states passed personal liberty laws for runaway slaves.


What statement best describes the position of most Northerners toward slavery?

Some states passed personal liberty laws for runaway slaves.


What law did the Southerners demanded that Congress pass that said Northerners had to return runaway slaves to their owners?

== == That was The Fugitive Slave Act.


Why did northerners not like the fugitive slave act?

Because it forced regular citizens to help capture runaway slaves, whether they wanted to or even agreed with slavery or not.


What part of the Compromise of 1850 pleased Northerners the most and which part pleased the southerners?

Northerners were most pleased that California was admitted as a free state. The south was pleased that the fugitive slave act REQUIRED assistance in capturing runaway slaves or face imprisonment.


What were the inpacts of Uncle Tom's Cabin?

It recruited many more Northerners to the Abolitionist cause, and inspired the Underground Railroad - the system of safe-houses by which runaway slaves were smuggled into Canada.


What two parts of the Compromise of 1850 appealed most to Northerners?

Northerners were most pleased that California was admitted as a free state. The south was pleased that the fugitive slave act REQUIRED assistance in capturing runaway slaves or face imprisonment.


How did the fugitive slave act cause more division between north and south?

The law made it a federal crime to aid runaway slaves and allowed the arrest of escaped slaves. Many northerners openly broke the law, angering slaveholders.


Why did some people in the North support the institution of slavery?

Northerners did not want the slaves to worry about unemployment like factory workers from the North.


When did northerners want slave trade abolished?

Around the early 1800's the Northerners realized how bad slaves really were to keep. A lot of northerners still though it was fine to have slaves.


Why did Northerners oppose the Fugitive Slave Act?

Northerners opposed the Fugitive Slacve law because they were against slavery, so they didn't want to help capture runaway slaves because they thought that if they had got away, then leave them alone. Besides it would make slavery worse in a way.