Enforcing the Fugitive Slave Law

My current research explores the enforcement of the controversial Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, unearthing new insights about the antebellum federal government’s efforts to implement the statute. Follow the progress of this ongoing project at my online research journal.

The Worst of a Villainous Tribe: Richard McAllister and the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 (Forthcoming, House Divided Project, 2020)

This peer-reviewed e-book explores the forgotten career of Richard McAllister, a U.S. commissioner tasked with enforcing the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law.