Each time the United States expanded, the government had to revisit the issue of slavery. Congress passed the Compromise of 1850, which included an important, but controversial Fugitive Slave Act to determine whether the newly acquired land would be slave or free. This clause set the stage for future conflicts regarding the rights of African Americans. McPherson and Hogue note that individuals became slave catchers because the value of African Americans drastically increased. Escaped and freed African Americans already lived in a state of constant fear, and this act intensified their troubles. According to the authors, Margaret Garner and her four children ran away from her master in 1856. Shortly after, Garner’s owner located her whereabouts…show more content… Slaves had absolutely no control over their life; they worked long hours and suffered severe physical, emotional, and mental abuse. Society typically views women as nurturers so, Garner’s ability to kill her own children seem unfathomable to most. Hence, Garner’s actions raise the question how can a mother kill her own children? Moreover, why did she think death was the only way to escape slavery? Around this time of this event, politics about slavery further divided the nation and promoted violent behavior. For instance, Garner knew about the violence in the Kansas territory over the issue of slavery. Despite political parties’ contention over the expansion of slavery, none explicitly mentioned ending slavery because they saw it as genuinely morally wrong. Garner believed that while people discussed slavery as a problem, they only considered how it would impact white Americans, not African Americans. Therefore, Garner felt that no one advocated for African Americans and so, she decided that death was her chance to free herself and her children. Most people fear death because it permanently ends one’s life, but for Garner, death served as an outlet to protect her children and freely live their
