Ona Judge's Escape: A Fight for Freedom from Slavery

Ona Judge, a slave seamstress and the daughter of a slave owned by George Washington, fled the presidential mansion in Philadelphia on May 21, 1796, preferring freedom to the comforts of her privileged life. Washington, who had inherited slaves, was a prominent figure in a nation that proclaimed equality and human rights in its 1776 Declaration of Independence.

Despite the law in Pennsylvania that freed slaves after six months of residency, Washington attempted to keep Judge enslaved by relocating her frequently. After her escape, Washington initiated a relentless search for her, placing advertisements in the Philadelphia Gazette.

Judge found work as a domestic laborer in Portsmouth, where she remained free despite the physical challenges of her job. Historian Erica Armstrong Dunbar notes that Washington negotiated for her return in October 1796, but Judge's choice to flee highlights the contradictions in the founding ideals of the United States regarding slavery and freedom.