Background
Colonel Ford arrived in Oregon in 1844 from Missouri on the Oregon Trail. Nathaniel Ford was sheriff of Howard County in Missouri when he acquired the Holmes. Prior to immigrating to Oregon Country in 1844, Ford had promised his slaves Polly and Robin Holmes that he would free them when they reached the Willamette Valley of Oregon and help Ford establish a farm. At first Ford did not follow through on his promise to free the family. In 1849 Robin agreed to work the California gold fields for Ford’s son, and once he returned Ford relented to Holmes’ demands for freedom and freed Polly, Robin, and a newborn child. However, he did not free the couple’s four other children. Two years later one of those children, Harriet, died spurring Robin to seek legal action against Ford to free his family.
Read more about this topic: Holmes V. Ford
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