A Defence for Fugitive Slaves (1850)

This article discusses the apparent bind for antislavery judges to rule on the Fugitive Slave Act between liberty and fidelity for the law. It discusses Spooner’s conclusion that slavery was unconstitutional, and how that was applied in practice for antebellum judges.

This autobiographical work provides a firsthand account of Douglass’s journey from slavery to freedom, highlighting the struggles and triumphs of his life as a prominent abolitionist.

In this EconTalk podcast Munger and host Russ Roberts discuss how attitudes in the American South toward slavery evolved over time and what we can learn from that evolution about the role culture plays in our lives.

This is a collection of anti-slavery tracts published during Lysander Spooner’s lifetime by the American Anti-Slavery Society. These tracts demonstrate the heterogeneity of abolitionist tactical arguments at the time, as they range from religious arguments to attacks on the constitution.

In this essay, Thoreau discusses the importance of resisting unjust laws and government actions through nonviolent means. His ideas on individual conscience and resistance influenced many future activists.

This History.com primer on the Fugitive Slave Acts includes a video where historian Matthew Pinsker presents a rundown of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act. It also breaks down the history of the acts from their enactment by Congress in 1793 to their repeal in 1864.

This Liberty Matters online discussion explores the constitutional theories of Lysander Spooner, concluding. It concludes by asserting that Spooner’s approach to the constitutional is “as fresh as it was in 1845”.