HISTORY MINUTE

Slavery bitterly divided North against South and neighbor against neighbor throughout the early history of the United States. While slavery was debated in legislatures, newspapers, and churches, countless slaves moved to escape their bondage to a life of freedom. One such incident in the early 1840s became an international controversy, all stemming from the daring escape of one slave from Arkansas to Canada.

The story began with Alfred Wallace, a planter and land speculator as well as an early Fayetteville store owner. Th ere were few slaves in Northwest Arkansas, as the mountainous region was not fit for widespread cotton or tobacco cultivation. However, there were a handful of plantation owners in the region who owned slaves and used slaves for various household tasks. In June 1840, he bought Nelson Hackett to serve as a butler.

Little is known about Nelson Hackett except for the harrowing tale of his escape from slavery and the sensation that his case caused. Nelson Hackett was born around 1810, the exact date and location are unknown. Nothing is known about his family or his childhood. As was typical for all slaves, all the dignities that make life so precious did not exist for slaves, as their owners so often dismissed their concerns and treated them as nothing more than property. All that is known about Hackett is that he was well-dressed, intelligent, resourceful, and had an unquenchable thirst to live as a free man.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition https://www.etypeservices.com/South%20Arkansas%20SunID643/