The Fugitive Slave Act was a federal law passed by the United States Congress in 1850 as a part of the Compromise of 1850. It required that escaped slaves be returned to their owners, even if they had reached free states in the North. The law also imposed penalties on anyone who aided or protected fugitive slaves.

The Fugitive Slave Act was highly controversial and sparked significant opposition from abolitionists and free Black communities. Many Northern states passed "personal liberty laws" to counteract the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act and protect escaped slaves within their borders.

The law further intensified tensions between the North and South over the issue of slavery, ultimately contributing to the growing divide that led to the American Civil War. The Fugitive Slave Act also played a significant role in the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved individuals to escape to freedom.

Overall, the Fugitive Slave Act represented a dark chapter in Black history, as it perpetuated the brutal system of slavery and denied freedom to those seeking to escape its horrors.