Who were the primary opponents of the Fugitive Slave Act?

The primary opponents of the Fugitive Slave Act were abolitionists and Northern states. The Fugitive Slave Act, enacted as part of the Compromise of 1850, required that escaped slaves be returned to their owners, even if they were found in free states. This legislation sparked significant outrage among abolitionists, who viewed it as an affront to human rights and a direct enforcement of slavery in areas that had chosen to be free. Abolitionists campaigned vigorously against the Act, organizing protests, creating safe houses, and providing assistance through networks like the Underground Railroad.

Northern states also opposed the Fugitive Slave Act because it forced them to participate in the institution of slavery, often against their own legal frameworks and moral beliefs. Many Northern legislatures passed "personal liberty laws" aimed at countering the effects of the Act and ensuring that they could protect alleged runaway slaves from being captured and returned. This opposition was part of the escalating tensions between the North and South leading up to the Civil War, as many in the North began to see slavery as not only a moral issue but also as a political one challenging their state rights and authority.