That said, however, there were two different types of slave masters. The two forms were benign and demonic slavery. Benign slavery, while a form of slavery, was tolerable for slaves and in some cases even enjoyable. Slaves were clothed, fed and enjoyed basic rights. Under demonic slavery, however, slaves were subject to physical torture and beatings. Eliza, under the rule of Master Shelby, lived in benevolent slavery. Because they were gentle slave owners, Mrs. Shelby showed her disgust at her husband's choice to sell Henry. It was the demonic slave owners who pushed for the passage of laws such as the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850. This law required the return of all fugitive slaves. If a white person claimed a black person as a slave, that person would immediately be returned to the South as a slave, even if he or she were a free man. This act also divided black families. Solomon Northup, for example, was mistakenly handed over as a slave and kept away from his family for over 10 years. Eric Foner, a history professor at Columbia University, explained that it was disturbing for him “to remember that there were thousands of free-born Americans who fled to Canada because their freedom could no longer be taken for granted in the United States” (PBS) . . It would have been easy for people like Senator Bird in Uncle Tom's Cabin to pass a fugitive slave law because they would most likely never see