Oregon "Free" State
Oregon was a "free" state and slavery was outlawed; in it's 1859 Constitution however, people of color did not enjoy the same rights as whites. In fact, the Oregon Constitution was very restrictive disallowing people of color owning property or voting or even entering the State. Prior to Oregon becoming a state and the Civil war, some white settlers came to Oregon and brought slaves with them. The story of some of these Black Pioneers can be found at :
http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/blakbios.html link
