Nelson Hackett
Nelson Hackett[lower-alpha 1] (born c. 1810) was an escaped slave who was extradited to the United States after having fled to Canada.
In 1841 he escaped from his Arkansas master, Alfred Wallace of Fayetteville. Using a stolen horse, six weeks later crossed the border and entered Canada West[lower-alpha 2] (present-day Ontario) near what today is Windsor.
Extradition
Despite slavery having been abolished throughout the British Empire in 1834, Wallace refused to let the matter drop. He was one of the wealthiest men in Arkansas and was well connected, particularly to the Governor of Arkansas, Archibald Yell. He wrote to the colonial governor in Canada, who ordered Hackett's arrest. Hackett was retained in Chatham.
Wallace and an associate, George C. Grigg, travelled to Canada and made out sworn dispositions against Hackett for stealing the horse, as well as a gold watch belonging to Wallace. Despite opposition from prominent Canadian politicians such as William Henry Draper, Hackett was extradited to the United States on the order of Governor General Sir Charles Bagot. Bagot cited the alleged theft of the watch, which exceeded what was necessary to take in order to facilitate his escape to freedom, in justifying his decision.
Public reaction from abolitionists in England, Canada and the northern United States was strong. Politicians in the British House of Commons and the Canadian Parliament questioned the motives for the extradition, as well as its legality.
Research indicates Hackett was returned to Fayetteville in the summer of 1842. He was not put to death for the alleged theft (a fate frequently suffered by slaves under similar circumstances), but was publicly whipped several times and tortured. Researchers have said he was sold to a new owner in Texas, from where he escaped again. Hackett's fate remains unknown.
Wallace's motives
Wallace's legal bills, travel costs and related expenses were likely several times Hackett's market value, leading to debate regarding his motive(s) in going to such extraordinary measures to recover an escaped slave:
- Wallace may have believed the effort necessary to restore his personal honor, which would have been particularly aggrieved by Hackett's status as a domestic servant (as opposed to a mere common laborer) and his theft of the horse. Furthermore, it is not certain whether the horse Hackett used to escape was Wallace's.[lower-alpha 3]
- Wallace was intent on "teaching a lesson" to American slaves (or, at least, wanted to deter his own slaves); by demonstrating that Canada would not prove to be a safe haven for them.
- Wallace may have had his own political ambitions and perhaps hoped to portray his actions as a "selfless" endeavor to defend the "rights" of all American slave owners.
In any event, Wallace's mission, while successful in its immediate objective, soon proved highly detrimental to U.S. slaveholding interests. Hackett's escape brought more attention to Canada as a refuge for slaves, and when the extradition clause of the Webster–Ashburton Treaty was finally negotiated, slaves were protected from extradition to their former American masters. Hackett was the last escaped slave extradited from Canada prior to the U.S. abolishing chattel slavery on 1865.
Legacy
In June 2023, the city of Fayetteville re-named a street formerly named for Governor Yell (who had played an important role in ensuring Hackett's return and re-enslavement) Nelson Hackett Boulevard. The street is believed to be near where Hackett had labored before his escape to Canada.
Notes
- Hackett's surname is spelled Hacket in some sources.
- Upper Canada had been re-named Canada West after uniting with Lower Canada to form the Province of Canada in February 1841.
- Southern law of the era held slave masters responsible (at least in civil court) for the conduct of their slaves, including escaped ones. For example, if an escaping slave stole a horse other than the master's, the slave's master would have been expected to compensate the horse's owner.