5. Laws Codified and Protected Slavery
Slavery’s endurance was not accidental—laws at every level of government enshrined and protected it. Local, state, and federal statutes like the notorious Fugitive Slave Act mandated the return of escaped enslaved people and criminalized those who helped them. State codes further regulated every aspect of enslaved life, ensuring the system’s brutal efficiency and longevity. These legal frameworks made escaping or resisting slavery even more perilous.
