Fugitive Slave Act: A federal law passed in 1850 that required escaped slaves to be returned to their owners even if they reached free states.
Missouri Compromise: A legislative agreement in 1820 that admitted Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state, aiming to maintain balance between both sides.
Dred Scott Decision: A Supreme Court ruling in 1857 that denied citizenship rights to enslaved individuals and stated that Congress had no power to regulate slavery in U.S. territories.