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Boston African American National Historic Site (Site not responding. Last check: ) |
 | | Under these personal liberty laws, fugitives could testify before judges and slave owners were prevented from seizing fugitives without a warrant for their arrest. |
 | | And if the fugitive was returned to the owner, the judge received ten dollars from the federal government, but if the judge found in favor of the defendant, he received only five dollars. |
 | | Of course, prior to 1850, Boston Blacks had proven their strength in the face of pro-slavery legislation, proving to the country and the world that they would not sit idly by and watch their fragile liberty be ripped apart at the seams. |
| www.nps.gov /boaf/fugitiveslavelaw2.htm (377 words) |