Fugitive Slave Act Debate

Students,

 

Below are some materials on the internet which I hope you may find useful to you in your preparations.  There are materials that support both sides of the debate included.  In addition to these materials I suggest that you discuss/recall/research more into our discussion earlier in the year as regards to Natural Law.  There are two aspects in particular that you might apply:  1) The appeal to heaven (this was how the founding fathers justified their 'rebellion' - their fight for independence from Brittain.  2)  The rights of ownership of property according to John Locke.

 

You might also think carefully of 'states rights'.  Southern states were very noisy about states rights, but look and think carefully about how the Fugitive Slave Act as a federal law is applied in states.

 

 

This first site is a teacher resource site, but it gives a good summary of some questions that should be considered when thinking of the Fugitive Slave Act.  It also gives a summary of some of the materials that you can use to support your arguments.  There is material for both sides here. 

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/connections/slavery/history5.html

 

Here is the collection of articles/sources that the above site refers to:

 http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/rbaapcbib:@field%28SUBJ+@band%28Fugitive+slave+law+of+1850+%29%29

 

Here is another general/overview site.  I think it does a good job of explaining how the Fugitive Slave law worked.  At the end of this article there is a collection of facts which could prove useful:

http://www.classroomelectric.org/volume2/folsom/fugitive/index-critintro.html

 

Here is a sermon by Ichabod Spencer on the duty to obey the law (this may also be included in the collection on the teachers site I can't recall):

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/ACK4054.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext

 

Here is a sermon by Jermain Loquen, a former slave, on resistance to the law.  (In this one Syracuse, NY actually votes to be a sanctuary and agrees as a city to disobey) 

http://www.blackpast.org/?q=1850-rev-jermain-wesley-loguen-i-wont-obey-fugitive-slave-law

 

Here is a poster warning slaves to be careful of police in Boston: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Slave_kidnap_post_1851_boston.jpg

 

Here is a poster warning the citizens of Boston to be aware of the 'kidnappers'

 

 

You may also look for some reward posters online - there are many.

 

I look forward to listening to your ideas!

 

Mrs. Amber