The Case Against The Fugitive Slave Law - 2396 Words

Since the spoken word, hundreds of philosophers have defined law in different ways. Philosophy allows people to study the nature of people’s beliefs which can differ over time. Not even laws are exempt from the opinions of philosophers. Seeing law in different ways allows people to come to different conclusions about legal cases. The Fugitive Slave Law was a controversial law in American history which allowed slave-owners to capture their slaves who have fled north to free states. Once, a group of emancipators in Boston were tried for helping an escaped slave flee to Canada. These emancipators challenged the Fugitive Slave Law in United States v Morris. According to the Fugitive Slave Law, helping an escaped slave is in violation of the law. In this case, the jurors let the emancipators free for helping a slave escape slavery to Canada. This leads to the question â€Å"Did the jurors in Morris do the right thing?† Philosophy gives us the tools to analyze the legality o f the juror s actions and answer this question. Natural Law theory, Positivism, Legal Realism, Neo-natural law theory, and Paul Butler’s theory of law all provide different outlooks to answering this question. Despite having differing beliefs about the role of morality and law, these philosophies all conclude that the jurors in Morris did the right thing. Thomas Aquinas’ Natural Law theory proves the jurors in Morris did make the right decision. The Natural Law theory discusses our ability to distinguishShow MoreRelatedThe Nature Of People s Beliefs1660 Words   |  7 Pageseven the ideas of the law are exempt from this occurrence. Since the spoken word, hundreds of philosophers have defined law in different ways. Seeing law in different ways people can come to different conclusions about specific cases. The Fugitive Slave Law was a controversial law in American history. The Fugitive Slave Law allowed slave-owners to capture their slaves who have fled North to free st ates. In United States v Morris, the emancipators challenged the Fugitive Slave Law in Boston. A groupRead MoreTo What Extent Did The Fugitive Slaves Acts Impacted Slavery?866 Words   |  4 Pageswhat extent did the Fugitive Slaves Acts have an effect on slavery in the United States of America? Table of Contents A) Plan of Investigation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Pg.1 B) Summary of Evidence†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Pg.2-4 C) Evaluation of Sources†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. D) Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. E) Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Plan of Investigation This investigation will assess to what extent did the Fugitive Slaves Acts impacted slaveryRead MoreFugitive Slave Act1626 Words   |  7 PagesHistory of Business Fugitive Slave Act The westward expansion of slavery was one of the most dynamic economic and social processes going on in this country. The Industrial Revolution had changed every aspect of American life and the country’s borders spread westward with the addition of the Mexican Cession—opening new cotton fields. To maintain the original Constitutional balance of lawmaking power, Congress continued to play the compromise game in 1820 and 1850 to maintain an equal number ofRead MoreWhat Was The And The Underground Railroad?1678 Words   |  7 Pagesbetween the Union and Confederates in the nineteenth century. Becoming what many slaves saw as their ticket to freedom, Philadelphia helped spark the ambition of the fugitive slaves to escape from their owners and venture through the unknown landscapes of the Northern regions in order to become free black citizens. The Underground Railroad, separating the contradicting ideas of the North and South, pushed the slave and non-slave states to even tually have a civil war between themselves. Pennsylvania s contributionRead MoreA Slave Mothers Fury1148 Words   |  5 PagesA Slave Mother’s Fury: The Story of Margaret Garner In 1793, The United States government issued The Fugitive Slave Act which mandated the return of runaway slaves back to their original slave owners if they were caught. Modified in 1850 with even stricter punishments and consequences even for those who hid runaways, these laws shined a light on an ambiguous plan that the government devised to keep African Americans enslaved without any mere hope of ever becoming free. While in effect, a multitudeRead MoreThe Civil War Was A Long Term Issue1622 Words   |  7 PagesWar was caused. Historians have looked into the years before the Civil War to discover that slavery was a long term issue that caused many disputes and compromises. From how to give power to slave holders in the House of Representatives to how to get the northern states to comply with the southern slave laws, slavery was the issue that tore the two regions apart. President Abraham Lincoln had to use all of his power to try and preserve the Union, even if that meant ending slavery for good. SlaveryRead MoreMoral Conflict Within The United States Constitution1499 Words   |  6 Pagesbefore has a legal case caused me so much moral conflict within; a runaway slave in the state of Indiana so close to freedom yet faced with the impending possibility of being returned back to servitude stands before me in the Court. As a moral human being, I want nothing more than to ignore the law and allow the runaway to live out his days as a free man. But as a judge dedicated to serving my country through the Court, I cannot ignore that the law is binding and that the Fugitive Slave clause of theRead MoreThe Escape Of William And Ellen Craft Essay1630 Words   |  7 Pagesincrease in the phenomenon of runaway slaves proportional to the increase in slavery at the time. To accommodate slaves, the Underground Railroad and several committees dedicated to the aid of fugitive slaves were developed. Free blacks and whites collaborated with the intent of assisting slaves in their journey to the north and in maintaining their freedom while living in northern states. Abolitionist societies also worked to document the experiences of runaway slaves and expose to the public the atrocitiesRead MoreThe Treaty Of Guadalupe Hidalgo1654 Words   |  7 Pagesthe American Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia was formed by William Lloyd Garrison, Arthur and Lewis Tappan (and others). The goal of the Abolitionist Movement was to end racial discrimination and segregation and emancipate all slaves. 1847-1863, an escaped slave and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, published the ‘North Star.† The paper was published in Rochester, New York. His goals were to abolish slavery, advocate universal emancipation, and promote the moral and intellectual improvementRead MoreUnderground Railroad Essay726 Words   |  3 PagesThe Undergorund Railroad served as a gateway to heaven for slaves of the southern United States. It provided slaves a way to get north to the freeland, where they would not be forced into slavery. It was the best way for slaves to get away. The Underground Railroad was a network of people that helped fugitive slaves get to the freeland (northern U.S. and Canada). It was not ran/maintained by one person or organization, instead it was made up of lots of individuals. Some of these people were