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Compromise of 1850
The law required citizens to assist in recovering runaway slaves. It disallowed a fugitive’s right to a jury trial. The act made it easier for slave owners to file claims and provide federal officials for enforcing the law. For blacks in the North, it was disastrous. Many fled to Canada. Free blacks who stayed, lived in fear with no legal way to plead their cases if caught by any of the numerous slave hunters. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Published
Though it was risky to publish an anti-slavery book at the time, Stowe found a publisher. By the end of the first year, over 300,000 copies were sold and translated into many languages. The novel drove a deeper wedge between the two sides, outraging Southerners who sent Stowe threatening letters. Abolitionists and blacks lauded its help in supporting their cause.
