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

Ona Judge, a slave seamstress and the daughter of a slave owned by Martha Washington, fled the presidential mansion in Philadelphia on May 21, 1796, seeking freedom from slavery. At the age of 22, she chose to escape rather than remain in comfort, reflecting the hypocrisy of George Washington, who proclaimed human rights while owning slaves.

Washington, who had inherited slaves and was reluctant to free them, initiated a relentless search for Judge after her escape, placing advertisements for her return. Judge had worked as a domestic laborer in Portsmouth, where she found freedom, despite the physical toll of her labor.

Historian Erica Armstrong Dunbar noted that Washington attempted to negotiate her return through Portsmouth's customs collector, Joseph Whipple, in October 1796. Judge's story exemplifies the struggle for freedom against the backdrop of a nation that professed liberty while perpetuating slavery.