In 1858, Sir James Douglas (1803–1877), the colonial governor of British Columbia, invited members of the San Francisco Black community to migrate to Canada. The community was considering emigrating due to the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford decision made by the United States Supreme Court that denied citizenship to all Black people, enslaved or free. Several hundred settlers, known as the "Black Pioneers" immigrated to Canada.
The Douglas papers contain extensive personal documentation of his life and career between the years 1835 and 1867.