Personal Liberty Laws
Lysander Spooner vs the Fugitive Slave Act
Author of one of the most widely circulated and read abolitionist books, Lysander Spooner railed against the constitutionality of slavery in the mid-19th Century. Included was his takedown of the Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850 – with 7 main objections...
Abolitionists for Nullification
Supporters of the monster state absolutely hate nullification. And they always conveniently ignore the fact that it was used by northern states to resist federal pro-slavery laws. On this episode, get a quick overview of those arguments – plus quotes from 3...
Prelude to Nullification and Freedom: The Pennsylvania Abolition Society
Personal Liberty Laws in response to the Federal Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850 were some of the most successful and important nullification efforts in history. But they didn’t come out of nowhere. Quaker opposition to slavery had a long tradition and led to the...
Today in History: Military Enforcement of Fugitive Slave Act Suspended
Today in 1862, the federal government suspended military enforcement of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, forbidding union troops from returning fugitive slaves. The law required individual citizens to assist with the capture and return of fugitive slaves in the states,...