In a significant shift in federal policy during the Civil War, the U.S. Congress passed an act forbidding Union military personnel from assisting in the capture or return of fugitive slaves. This law effectively ended what historian James McPherson referred to as the “military slave hunt.” It marked a critical step toward the emancipation of enslaved people and signaled a broader move by the Union toward abolitionist principles.
© 2025 KnowThyHistory.com. Know Thy History
