The Local and International Legacies of Nelson Hackett's Flight from Slavery, 1841-1861

In 1841, Nelson Hackett, an enslaved man, fled both Fayetteville and bondage and made his way to Canada, where he thought he had found freedom. But his owner found him and successfully extradited him, making Hackett the first fugitive that Canada returned to slavery. He would also be the last. Using digital platforms like the Nelson Hackett Project and primary source materials and approaches, participants will return home with lesson plans that emphasize the impact fugitives like Hackett played in the nation’s sectional crisis and the century-long process of abolition and emancipation. 

Using digital platforms like the Nelson Hackett Project and primary source materials and approaches, participants will return home with lesson plans that emphasize the impact fugitives like Hackett played in the nation’s sectional crisis and the century-long process of abolition and emancipation.