Overview

Ona Judge was enslaved by George and Martha Washington. In 1796, while the Washingtons lived in Philadelphia, she escaped and made her way to New Hampshire, where she built a free life despite repeated efforts to recapture her.

Quick Facts

• Birth: c. 1773, Mount Vernon, VA (often cited)
• Death: 1848, Greenland, NH (often cited)
• Identity (Race): Black woman
• Enslavement Status: Enslaved; escaped in 1796 and lived free
• Occupation / Primary Role: Domestic laborer; freedom seeker
• Allegiance / Affiliation: Resistance to slavery in the early republic
• Military Role / Rank: None
• Education: Unknown
• Religion: Christian (reported in some accounts; specifics vary)
• Spouse: Jack Staines (reported)
• Children: Reported; details vary
• Enslaver: George and Martha Washington
• Did She Enslave Anyone?: No evidence
• Language: English

Poster Bullets

• Escaped from the Washington household in 1796 and refused to return.
• Lived in New Hampshire despite federal pressure and attempted recapture.
• Highlights slavery’s persistence after independence.

Poster Summary

Ona Judge forces a confrontation with the gap between Revolutionary ideals and the lived reality of bondage, even in the household of a celebrated founder.

Why She Matters

She represents Black women’s resistance and the truth that freedom in the early republic often required flight, concealment, and constant risk.

What Happened After the War

Judge lived in New Hampshire, married, and supported herself while agents attempted to retrieve her. She remained free until her death.

QR – Adult Read More

Ona Judge’s escape happened in the early republic, when leaders celebrated liberty while maintaining slavery. That timing is precisely why her story matters.

Washington’s attempts to recapture her show how slavery relied on law and enforcement across state lines, even in places moving toward gradual abolition.

Judge’s later-life interviews provide rare testimony about her motives and her refusal to be returned to bondage.

For Franklin 250, Judge supports NJ interpretation: gradual abolition and the persistence of bondage shaped the region well after the war.

QR – Kids

Ona Judge escaped from slavery and lived free in New Hampshire. She stayed free even when people tried to force her to return.

Something You May Not Know

• Philadelphia’s laws led the Washingtons to rotate enslaved workers to avoid emancipation rules.
• She lived with constant risk of capture even in the North.
• Her story is preserved through later interviews.

Common Misconceptions

Misconception: Independence ended slavery in the North. Reality: Slavery persisted, and people like Ona Judge had to escape to remain free.

Connection to Franklin / Somerset / NJ

Judge’s story helps explain slavery’s long afterlife, including in NJ.

Primary Artifacts & Proof

Mount Vernon – Ona Judge: https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/slavery/ona-judge/

National Park Service – Ona Judge: https://www.nps.gov/people/ona-judge.htm

PBS – Ona Judge (context): https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2h32.html