Rachel Beldon Brooks

Rachel Belden Brooks (c. 1829–October 12, 1910) was an American pioneer who traveled from Tennessee to the Oregon Territory as a person held as a slave. In 1857, Oregon voters approved the Constitution of Oregon, which made slavery illegal, and also made it illegal for people of African descent to own real estate, make contracts, vote, or use the legal system. Despite this, Belden Brooks continued to be held as a slave until 1863 and in 1865 she used the legal system to sue her previous enslaver's estate, and was awarded $1,000.

Early life Rachel Belden was born in Greene County, Tennessee, in 1828 or 1829. Belden then traveled with the Delany family on their journey from Tennessee to the Oregon Territory. On the trail, Belden was tasked with caring for Daniel Delaney's wife. Another pioneer, John Minto, who traveled on the Oregon trail with the Delaney family and lived in close proximity to them later wrote of Daniel Delaney: "He seemed to read his bible chiefly to find in it support for his dominion over the soul and body of his female slave."

Murder and court case On January 9, 1865, Daniel Delaney was shot and killed by two men who were subsequently hanged for their crime. The two men had been searching for cash on the property. The only witness to the crime was Belden Brooks' son, Jack, aged seven or eight, who lived on the Delaney property. That motion was overruled. However, Jack was then rejected as a witness after he could not explain what it meant to be "sworn" and to be a "witness", because "the boy had not sufficient intelligence to take the oath." thumb Letter from the lawyer of Rachel Belden Brooks and Nathan Brooks regarding $1,000 settlement. Page 1

After Delaney's death, Rachel sued the estate for $10,333 in civil court. This amount was for payment for work and services by her and her son Noah Newman (over a combined total of 27 years and 10 months). She was awarded $1,000, as it was argued that since she and her son were housed and fed by the Delaneys, any additional costs were negated.