When Francis Troutman attempted to recapture the Crosswhites, a family of runaway slaves that found a home in Marshall, Michigan, he did not anticipate that a sizeable amount of the community would rebuke him. The event, known as the Crosswhite Affair, placed the runaway family at the heart of the sectional battle over slavery. Troutman’s failed recapture set in motion a chain of events that eventually ended with the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, a law despised by many, particularly in the North. It allowed slave catching to become widespread and forced American citizens to actively participate in recapturing runaways or face severe penalties. By connecting the Crosswhite Affair to the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, this dissertation asserts that the plight of runaways forced many Americans to confront slavery, especially when slave hunters prowled the North in search of these freedom seekers. / History