Why was the Fugitive Slave Act so controversial?
a) It required all Americans to return runaway slaves to their owners, and free states opposed this law.
b) It required all runaway slaves to be hung, and most people in free and slaveholder states were against this form of punishment
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c) Fugitive slaves who were caught were sent back to Africa, and Southern states disagreed with this practice.
d) Fugitive slaves were required to work twice as long before they could be freed, and Northern states opposed this rule.
a) It required all Americans to return runaway slaves to their owners, and free states opposed this law.
The Fugitive Slave Act was controversial because it mandated that all runaway slaves be returned to their owners, even if they had escaped to free states. This went against the beliefs and values of many people in the free states, who believed in the abolition of slavery and in the rights of individuals to freedom. The law also required citizens to assist in the capture and return of runaway slaves, leading to protests and resistance in many areas. The enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act further heightened tensions between the North and the South, ultimately contributing to the growing divide that would lead to the Civil War.