Which statement describes the Fugitive Slave Clause?

• A. Slaves who escaped to other states must be returned to their owners.
• B. Slaves must be granted citizenship in the new state.
• C. Slavery is prohibited in territories acquired by the Constitution.
• D. Fugitives are exempt from legal proceedings.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that the Constitution requires someone held in servitude who escapes to another state to be delivered back to the person to whom that service or labor is due. This means free states were obligated to cooperate in recapturing escapees and returning them to their enslavers, even across state lines. This provision, known as the Fugitive Slave Clause, was a negotiated part of the founding framework to protect slaveholders’ property interests and maintain the institution of slavery within the early United States.

That’s why the statement describing escaped slaves being returned to their owners is the best fit. It captures the essence of the clause: it creates a legal duty across states to reclaim fugitives rather than offering them freedom or citizenship, or exempting them from legal processes.

The other options miss the point: the clause did not grant citizenship to enslaved people, it did not declare slavery illegal in new territories, and it did not exempt fugitives from any legal proceedings.