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Political: slaves could not carry arms or leave their homes without written permission; slaves and most free blacks could not vote, hold office, or testify against whites in court; in the South free blacks could be held until they showed identity papers; in the North free blacks were able to organize, speak out against slavery, and publish texts Social: free blacks could not attend public school; in South it was illegal to teach slaves how to read and write; in the North free blacks could organize churches, have black schools, and organizations. Slaves could be split up if sold, slaves celebrate their religious beliefs Economic: most slaves worked in the fields on Southern plantations and kept none of the wealth they created. Free blacks in the North were hired for lower wages than whites and given mostly unskilled work. The Fugitive Slave Act passed by Congress made it unsafe for both free and runaway slaves to remain free. Blacks were kidnapped, or arrested and detained. Free blacks were sold into slavery. Some moved to Canada.
Frederick Douglass lived in England for a few years to avoid the Fugitive Slave Act. He wrote many books about slavery.
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