The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850:

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The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 gave new powers to federal officers to override local law enforcement, allowing them to capture and return escaped slaves. This was one of the most controversial aspects of the law, as it expanded the reach and power of the federal government in enforcing slavery. It did not win the support of Ralph Waldo Emerson, nor was it declared unconstitutional in the Dred Scott case, but it did anger some southerners by weakening an earlier law on fugitive slaves.