10th Grade
Legal Document
2650L
Fugitive Slave Act of 1793
The United States Congress
1793
Passage Summary:
The Fugitive Slave Act was enacted by the United States Congress in 1793, and then later renewed in 1850. This act guaranteed slave owners the right to recover run-away slaves. When the Thirteenth Amendment was passed, abolishing slavery, the Fugitive Slave Act lost its power.
When and How to Pair:
Have students read “Fugitive Slave Act” before Schoolteacher comes for Sethe in Part 1, chapter 16, to provide historical background on Sethe’s status as an escaped slave living in the North. Have students read this text after chapter 15, ask them to discuss the foreshadowing in chapter 15 and what they believe happened to Sethe’s family on context of the Fugitive Slave Act.