Robin Holmes facts for kids
Robin Holmes was an African American man who was born into slavery. He became famous for a court case in the Oregon Territory that was about slavery, happening before the big American Civil War.
Robin Holmes was born in Virginia in 1810. He and his wife, Polly, were enslaved by a U.S. Army Major in Missouri for 12 years. Later, they were taken to pay the major's debts. A politician and landowner named Nathaniel Ford then claimed them as his own enslaved people. Robin Holmes later said that this sale was not legal.
The Holmes Family's Journey
In 1843, Nathaniel Ford was in debt. He used Robin and Polly Holmes, along with five of their six children, as a guarantee for his debts. Ford got Robin, Polly, and two of their children back. But he either lost or sold their other children: William, Eliza, and Clarisa. Eliza, the oldest of these three, was about 12 years old at the time. This meant the family was split up.
On May 14, 1844, the Ford and Holmes families traveled to the Oregon Territory. Ford's family later said that Ford didn't want to bring Robin Holmes. But they claimed Robin asked to stay with them. Robin Holmes, however, said in court that Ford had offered him freedom if he helped Ford settle in Oregon. Ford did not disagree with this in his own court statement. Robin and Polly's three other daughters, Mary Jane, Harriet, and Celi Ann, also traveled with them.
Fighting for Freedom
In 1850, Mr. Ford gave freedom to Robin, Polly, and only one of their children. This left four of their children still enslaved. Two more children had been born to Robin and Polly between 1844 and 1850. Sadly, one of the children, Harriet, died in 1851.
Because his children were still enslaved, Robin Holmes decided to take action. In 1852, he sued Nathaniel Ford in court to gain freedom for his children.
The Court Case
The court case was called Holmes v. Ford. It went before the Oregon Territorial Supreme Court on July 13, 1853. After a trial that lasted 14 months, the court decided in favor of Robin Holmes. His children were finally awarded their freedom and reunited with their parents. This was an important step in the fight against slavery in the Oregon Territory.
