Holmes V. Ford

Holmes v. Ford was an American court case in the Oregon Territory that freed a slave family in the territory in 1853. The decision re-affirmed that slavery was illegal in the territory as outlined in the Organic Laws of Oregon that were continued once the region became a U.S. territory. In the decision, Chief Justice of the Oregon Territorial Supreme Court, George H. Williams, ruled against Nathaniel Ford, freeing the children of Polly and Robin Holmes.

Read more about Holmes V. Ford:  Background, Lawsuit, Legacy

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    I have always felt that the real purpose of government is to enhance the lives of people and that a leader can best do that by restraining government in most cases instead of enlarging it at every opportunity.
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