September 18
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 Signed
Signed into law on September 18, 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act required that escaped enslaved people be returned to their enslavers, even in free states. The law galvanized the abolitionist movement and increased support for the Underground Railroad.
Daniel Hale Williams Born
Daniel Hale Williams was born on September 18, 1856, in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. He became a pioneering surgeon who performed the first successful open-heart surgery in 1893 at Provident Hospital in Chicago, which he founded as the first non-segregated hospital in the United States.
Jimi Hendrix Dies
On September 18, 1970, Jimi Hendrix died in London. His innovative approach to the electric guitar transformed rock music, and his performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Woodstock became one of the most iconic moments in music history.
Fugitive Slave Act Passed
On September 18, 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act as part of the Compromise of 1850. It required citizens and officials in free states to assist in the return of escaped enslaved people, enraging abolitionists and pushing more people to support the anti-slavery movement.