Ona Judge: Self-Emancipated from the Presidential Mansion

Ona Judge, born into slavery on George Washington's plantation, was trained as a maid for Martha Washington. At 16, she moved with the Washingtons to New York and Philadelphia, separating her from her family. In Philadelphia, she learned about self-emancipation from free black Americans. In 1796, to avoid being given as a wedding gift to Martha's granddaughter, Ona escaped to Portsmouth, NH. Despite the Washingtons' efforts to recapture her, Ona lived freely, marrying Jack Staines and having a daughter. After George Washington's death, Ona lived a long life, sharing her story with abolitionist newspapers, highlighting the contradictions of early American liberty.

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