But in 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, making it easier than ever for slave owners to reclaim runaways.

WSJ: Book Review: To Free a Family

As a newly arrived senator in 1850, he delivered a three-hour stem-winder before packed galleries, denouncing the Fugitive Slave Act and disagreeing with his illustrious elders Clay, Webster, and Calhoun about the extension of slavery.

NEWYORKER: Union Man