On September 18 , 1848 , James Harlan went to the Franklin County , Kentucky , Courthouse to free Robert .
Robert 's de facto emancipation was illegal and may have become a political liability for his master by the late 1840s .
On September 18 , 1848 , Robert   went to the Franklin County , Kentucky , Courthouse to free Robert .
Robert 's de facto emancipation was illegal and may have become a political liability for his master by the late 1840s .