The original Fugitive Slave Act was enacted in 1793. One of the things it stated was that slave owners were allowed to search for their escaped slaves in states that did not believe in slavery. When a slave (or a person suspected of being a slave) was captured, the people (or person) went to court to have the slave returned to his owner. If sufficient evidence was provided, the slaves were returned to their owners. This act also meant that anyone who aided slaves in any way, such as by hiding them, faced a $500 tax. Many people, especially those from northern states, disagreed with this act. Northerners felt as if their land was being used by bounty hunters. They also didn't like the fact that, with people taking free African Americans as slaves, it seemed like the act was leading to the legalization of kidnapping. Some people who did not agree with this law created groups to help rescue slaves and even created housing for them that would be safe for them to escape to areas where slavery was illegal. Since the Northern states weren't enforcing the law anyway, they tried...