Early in 1851, Thomas Sims escapes slavery in Georgia. → Sims arrives in Massachusetts, a free state. →
Slave catchers in Boston arrest Sims on April 3, 1851. → On April 12, 1851, Thomas Sims is returned to his owner in Georgia.
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Which of the following provides the best explanation for the sequence of events?
Responses
A The slave catchers illegally kidnapped Sims as he became legally free upon entering a free state.The slave catchers illegally kidnapped Sims as he became legally free upon entering a free state.
B Massachusetts became a slave state with the passing of the Compromise of 1850.Massachusetts became a slave state with the passing of the Compromise of 1850.
C Massachusetts and Georgia were political allies in the 1850s.Massachusetts and Georgia were political allies in the 1850s.
D Because of the Fugitive Slave Act, slave catchers could enter free territories to capture runaway slaves.