What law permitted slave owners to retrieve escaped slaves from free states?

The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 was a significant piece of legislation that mandated the return of runaway slaves to their owners, even if the slaves had fled to free states. This law was part of the Compromise of 1850, which aimed to ease tensions between slave and free states following the Mexican-American War. The law heightened tensions between the North and the South by making it legally obligatory for citizens to assist in the capture of escaped slaves, while also imposing heavy penalties on those who aided fugitive slaves. This provided slave owners with the legal support needed to reclaim their property, thus reinforcing the institution of slavery and the control of slave owners over enslaved people.

Understanding this context highlights why the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 is correctly identified as the law enabling slave owners to retrieve escaped slaves from states where slavery was not permitted.