New Jersey had an important role in the elimination of slavery. It was the birthplace of both the early Quaker abolitionist John Woolman, William Still, often called the Father of the Underground Railroad, and John S. Rock, the first Black lawyer admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. And yet it was the last Northern state to begin a process for the gradual abolition of slavery, with the last slave in New Jersey not freed until after the Civil War and ratification of the 13th Amendment at the end of 1865. Using the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 as principal points of reference, this course will explore the paradoxical responses of New Jersey to the questions surrounding human enslavement and will examine incidents involving slave-catchers and judicial decisions with special attention to the role of New Jersey Chief Justice Joseph Hornblower.

COURESE LEADER
John Zen Jackson is a practicing New Jersey attorney. He has a long-standing interest in the history of antebellum America and has published articles concerning the subject matter of this course.

GENERAL INFORMATION
This Evergreen Forum course offers a hybrid experience, allowing participants to join the event either in-person or virtually via Zoom. Please carefully select your registration type, as participants are expected to attend programs based on their chosen in-person or virtual status. Should your circumstances change and you wish to adjust your registration, kindly contact us at 609-751-9699. Our CMAP staff will do their best to accommodate your request based on availability.

SENIOR SCHOLARSHIPS are available. Please submit a request form by following the link here to apply.

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REFUND INFORMATION
If you are no longer able to attend an event/program, we invite you to donate the program fee to CMAP — call us for more information.

If you do need a refund, checks are issued for cash, check, and credit card payments; electronic payments are refunded electronically. Refund processing takes approximately 2 weeks. Refunds requested up to 6 business days before class are issued minus a $15 processing fee; no refund is offered 5 business days or less before class begins. No refund is offered for programs costing $15 or less, and a $15 processing fee applies to those who register for the same program more than once.