On this day in 1796, George and Martha Washington offered a $10 reward for the capture of an escaped enslaved woman named Ona Judge.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio.
Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, a
show that pays tribute to people of the past by
telling their stories. Today I'm Gabe Lucier, and today we're
talking about the time when the first US president offered
a cash prize in exchange for a woman's freedom, a
(00:23):
reward that thankfully went unclaimed. The day was May twenty third,
seventeen ninety six. George and Martha Washington offered a ten
dollars reward for the capture of an escaped enslaved woman
(00:44):
named Ona Judge Oa, whom the Washingtons called Onie, had
been enslaved as Martha Washington's personal attendant since she was
ten years old. After learning of Martha's intention to gift
her to a family member, Ona fled from the President's
home in Philadelphia on the night of May twenty first.
(01:05):
When the Washingtons realized she was missing, they sent an
aid to post ads in all the local newspapers. The
notice read, in part, absconded from the household of the
President of the United States on Saturday afternoon. One judge
a light mulatto girl, much freckled with very black eyes
(01:27):
and bushy black hair. She is of middle stature, but
slender and delicately made. About twenty years of age. The
first family offered a reward for Ona's return to bondage
ten dollars, about the same price as a barrel of flour.
Ona was born at the Washington's Mount Vernon estate sometime
(01:49):
between the summer of seventeen seventy three and the spring
of seventeen seventy four. She was the daughter of one
of Martha's enslaved housemaids, Betty, and an Englandish born indentured
servant named Andrew Judge. As a young girl, Oa is
believed to have lived with her mother in a small
cabin on the Washington's property, where she likely had at
(02:10):
least some level of interaction with her father. However, after
fulfilling his work contract at Mount Vernon, Andrew Judge eventually
moved away to start his own farm. Ona was left
behind to be enslaved, as according to Virginia law, any
child born to an enslaved woman was considered the property
(02:31):
of the enslaver. Not long after her father's departure, Ona
was moved into the mansion house to begin her training
as a housemaid. She continued in that role until seventeen
eighty nine, when she was chosen to accompany Martha to
the President's House in New York City. Ona's duties as
the First Lady's personal attendant included helping her dress and groom,
(02:53):
as well as joining her on social calls. In seventeen ninety,
the nation's capital was moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the
presidential household, including Ona, moved with it. Life in New
York and then Philadelphia was different in many ways from
what Oa had known back in Virginia. She delighted in
(03:14):
sampling new foods and taking in new forms of entertainment,
including live theater and a traveling circus. But the biggest
shakeup by far was Ona's introduction to Philadelphia's free black community.
At the time, New York was still upholding the status
quo of slavery, but in Pennsylvania, lawmakers had spent the
(03:34):
last decade gradually abolishing the practice. By the time Ona arrived,
she was actually in the minority as an enslaved woman.
In Philadelphia, there were roughly six thousand free black men
and women living within city limits, but there were fewer
than one hundred enslaved black people. The state even had
(03:55):
a law that said any enslaved person brought into Pennsylvania
would be granted their freedom after six months of residence.
During her own lengthy stay in Philadelphia, Ona caught glimpses
of the city's free black community, and in her private moments,
I'm sure she longed to be a part of it.
She would have had the chance too, if not for
(04:16):
some devious maneuvering on the part of President Washington. Once
he was made aware of the state's six month emancipation law,
he immediately had to plan to subvert it. He began
secretly rotating his enslaved house servants between Philadelphia and Mount Vernon.
Whenever they neared the six month threshold that would allow
(04:36):
them to legally claim their freedom, Washington would send them
back to Virginia, thus resetting the clock. He was well
aware of just how callous and underhanded this action was.
In fact, he instructed his secretary to lie to the
enslaved workers about why they were being moved, or, as
he put it, arranged the transfers quote under pretext that
(05:00):
may deceive both them and the public. Washington's scheme served
him well for seven years, but in the spring of
seventeen ninety six, one of his victims claimed her freedom
through her own actions. Ona Judge was twenty two years
old at the time and preparing for her latest rotation
back to Virginia when she overheard some troubling news. The
(05:24):
Washington's eldest granddaughter, the notoriously temperamental Eliza Custis, had recently
gotten married, and Martha was planning to give her ownA
as a wedding present. Rather than take her chances under
a new, potentially more volatile enslaver Oa resolved to make
her escape just ahead of the summer trip back to
(05:44):
Mount Vernon. Decades later, Ona reflected on her escape in
an eighteen forty five abolitionist newspaper. Recalling that fateful night,
she said, quote, whilst they were packing up to go
to Virginia, I was packing to go. I didn't know where,
for I knew that if I went back to Virginia,
I should never get my liberty. I had friends among
(06:07):
the colored people of Philadelphia, had my things carried there beforehand,
and left Washington's house while they were eating dinner. She
secured passage aboard the Nancy, a ship commanded by Captain
John Bowles and bound for Portsmouth, New Hampshire. After a
five day voyage, Ona disembarked and began living her new
(06:27):
life as a free woman. Meanwhile, back in Philadelphia, the
First family was baffled by Ona's escape. They just couldn't
figure out why she would want to leave them. According
to their ad quote, there was no suspicion of her
going off, nor no provocation to do so. It is
not easy to conjecture whither she has gone, or fully
(06:50):
what her design is. The couple's ad went unanswered, but
a few months later, Ona was recognized on the street
by a relative of a family friend in New Hampshire.
George Washington was informed of her whereabouts and quickly made
arrangements for Ona to be apprehended by a customs officer
in Portsmouth. His name was Thomas Whipple, and he was
(07:12):
tasked with capturing Oa and putting her on a boat
back to Washington. He managed to lure her out of
hiding by posting a phony job offer, and Oa eventually
agreed to be transported back south without a fight. However,
on the day she was supposed to make the trip,
she simply never showed up at the dock. Three years later,
(07:34):
the Washingtons tried yet again to recapture Oa Judge, this
time sending one of Martha's nephews to search for her
in Portsmouth. Luckily, Ona was able to evade him by
hiding out in a neighboring town. By the end of
the year, George Washington was dead, and according to Oa,
the family quote never troubled me any more. That said,
(07:58):
Oa Judge was still technically a fugitive. Although Washington had
made provisions in his will to free those he had enslaved,
that decision didn't apply to Ona, who had been gifted
to the Custus family. At any moment, someone from their
estate could legally recapture her and force her back into bondage.
Despite that looming threat, Ona Judge did her best to
(08:21):
enjoy her freedom. She married a black sailor named Jack
Stains and started a family with him. She also taught
herself how to read and write, and became an active
member of her local church. Ona's life still wasn't easy.
She lived in poverty, and her husband died just six
years under their marriage, leaving her to raise three small
(08:41):
children on her own. Those hardships led one reporter to
ask whether she ever regretted her escape to freedom, After all,
she had left behind the relative comfort of the president's
household for a life of hard work and worry. Ona's
reply was brief and resolute. No, she said, I am
(09:02):
free and have I trust been made a child of
God by the means own a judge. Staines lived for
more than fifty years as a free woman in New Hampshire.
She died there on February twenty fifth, eighteen forty eight,
still free. I'm Gabe Lucier and hopefully you now know
(09:26):
a little more about history today than you did yesterday.
If you enjoyed today's show, consider keeping up with us
on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at TDI HC Show. You
can also rate and review the show on Apple Podcast,
or you can get in touch directly by writing to
This Day at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays
(09:50):
and Ben Hackett for producing the show, and thank you
for listening. I'll see you back here again tomorrow for
another day in History class. The picture put in the
p
This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio.
Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, a
show that pays tribute to people of the past by
telling their stories. Today I'm Gabe Lucier, and today we're
talking about the time when the first US president offered
a cash prize in exchange for a woman's freedom, a
(00:23):
reward that thankfully went unclaimed. The day was May twenty third,
seventeen ninety six. George and Martha Washington offered a ten
dollars reward for the capture of an escaped enslaved woman
(00:44):
named Ona Judge Oa, whom the Washingtons called Onie, had
been enslaved as Martha Washington's personal attendant since she was
ten years old. After learning of Martha's intention to gift
her to a family member, Ona fled from the President's
home in Philadelphia on the night of May twenty first.
(01:05):
When the Washingtons realized she was missing, they sent an
aid to post ads in all the local newspapers. The
notice read, in part, absconded from the household of the
President of the United States on Saturday afternoon. One judge
a light mulatto girl, much freckled with very black eyes
(01:27):
and bushy black hair. She is of middle stature, but
slender and delicately made. About twenty years of age. The
first family offered a reward for Ona's return to bondage
ten dollars, about the same price as a barrel of flour.
Ona was born at the Washington's Mount Vernon estate sometime
(01:49):
between the summer of seventeen seventy three and the spring
of seventeen seventy four. She was the daughter of one
of Martha's enslaved housemaids, Betty, and an Englandish born indentured
servant named Andrew Judge. As a young girl, Oa is
believed to have lived with her mother in a small
cabin on the Washington's property, where she likely had at
(02:10):
least some level of interaction with her father. However, after
fulfilling his work contract at Mount Vernon, Andrew Judge eventually
moved away to start his own farm. Ona was left
behind to be enslaved, as according to Virginia law, any
child born to an enslaved woman was considered the property
(02:31):
of the enslaver. Not long after her father's departure, Ona
was moved into the mansion house to begin her training
as a housemaid. She continued in that role until seventeen
eighty nine, when she was chosen to accompany Martha to
the President's House in New York City. Ona's duties as
the First Lady's personal attendant included helping her dress and groom,
(02:53):
as well as joining her on social calls. In seventeen ninety,
the nation's capital was moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the
presidential household, including Ona, moved with it. Life in New
York and then Philadelphia was different in many ways from
what Oa had known back in Virginia. She delighted in
(03:14):
sampling new foods and taking in new forms of entertainment,
including live theater and a traveling circus. But the biggest
shakeup by far was Ona's introduction to Philadelphia's free black community.
At the time, New York was still upholding the status
quo of slavery, but in Pennsylvania, lawmakers had spent the
(03:34):
last decade gradually abolishing the practice. By the time Ona arrived,
she was actually in the minority as an enslaved woman.
In Philadelphia, there were roughly six thousand free black men
and women living within city limits, but there were fewer
than one hundred enslaved black people. The state even had
(03:55):
a law that said any enslaved person brought into Pennsylvania
would be granted their freedom after six months of residence.
During her own lengthy stay in Philadelphia, Ona caught glimpses
of the city's free black community, and in her private moments,
I'm sure she longed to be a part of it.
She would have had the chance too, if not for
(04:16):
some devious maneuvering on the part of President Washington. Once
he was made aware of the state's six month emancipation law,
he immediately had to plan to subvert it. He began
secretly rotating his enslaved house servants between Philadelphia and Mount Vernon.
Whenever they neared the six month threshold that would allow
(04:36):
them to legally claim their freedom, Washington would send them
back to Virginia, thus resetting the clock. He was well
aware of just how callous and underhanded this action was.
In fact, he instructed his secretary to lie to the
enslaved workers about why they were being moved, or, as
he put it, arranged the transfers quote under pretext that
(05:00):
may deceive both them and the public. Washington's scheme served
him well for seven years, but in the spring of
seventeen ninety six, one of his victims claimed her freedom
through her own actions. Ona Judge was twenty two years
old at the time and preparing for her latest rotation
back to Virginia when she overheard some troubling news. The
(05:24):
Washington's eldest granddaughter, the notoriously temperamental Eliza Custis, had recently
gotten married, and Martha was planning to give her ownA
as a wedding present. Rather than take her chances under
a new, potentially more volatile enslaver Oa resolved to make
her escape just ahead of the summer trip back to
(05:44):
Mount Vernon. Decades later, Ona reflected on her escape in
an eighteen forty five abolitionist newspaper. Recalling that fateful night,
she said, quote, whilst they were packing up to go
to Virginia, I was packing to go. I didn't know where,
for I knew that if I went back to Virginia,
I should never get my liberty. I had friends among
(06:07):
the colored people of Philadelphia, had my things carried there beforehand,
and left Washington's house while they were eating dinner. She
secured passage aboard the Nancy, a ship commanded by Captain
John Bowles and bound for Portsmouth, New Hampshire. After a
five day voyage, Ona disembarked and began living her new
(06:27):
life as a free woman. Meanwhile, back in Philadelphia, the
First family was baffled by Ona's escape. They just couldn't
figure out why she would want to leave them. According
to their ad quote, there was no suspicion of her
going off, nor no provocation to do so. It is
not easy to conjecture whither she has gone, or fully
(06:50):
what her design is. The couple's ad went unanswered, but
a few months later, Ona was recognized on the street
by a relative of a family friend in New Hampshire.
George Washington was informed of her whereabouts and quickly made
arrangements for Ona to be apprehended by a customs officer
in Portsmouth. His name was Thomas Whipple, and he was
(07:12):
tasked with capturing Oa and putting her on a boat
back to Washington. He managed to lure her out of
hiding by posting a phony job offer, and Oa eventually
agreed to be transported back south without a fight. However,
on the day she was supposed to make the trip,
she simply never showed up at the dock. Three years later,
(07:34):
the Washingtons tried yet again to recapture Oa Judge, this
time sending one of Martha's nephews to search for her
in Portsmouth. Luckily, Ona was able to evade him by
hiding out in a neighboring town. By the end of
the year, George Washington was dead, and according to Oa,
the family quote never troubled me any more. That said,
(07:58):
Oa Judge was still technically a fugitive. Although Washington had
made provisions in his will to free those he had enslaved,
that decision didn't apply to Ona, who had been gifted
to the Custus family. At any moment, someone from their
estate could legally recapture her and force her back into bondage.
Despite that looming threat, Ona Judge did her best to
(08:21):
enjoy her freedom. She married a black sailor named Jack
Stains and started a family with him. She also taught
herself how to read and write, and became an active
member of her local church. Ona's life still wasn't easy.
She lived in poverty, and her husband died just six
years under their marriage, leaving her to raise three small
(08:41):
children on her own. Those hardships led one reporter to
ask whether she ever regretted her escape to freedom, After all,
she had left behind the relative comfort of the president's
household for a life of hard work and worry. Ona's
reply was brief and resolute. No, she said, I am
(09:02):
free and have I trust been made a child of
God by the means own a judge. Staines lived for
more than fifty years as a free woman in New Hampshire.
She died there on February twenty fifth, eighteen forty eight,
still free. I'm Gabe Lucier and hopefully you now know
(09:26):
a little more about history today than you did yesterday.
If you enjoyed today's show, consider keeping up with us
on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at TDI HC Show. You
can also rate and review the show on Apple Podcast,
or you can get in touch directly by writing to
This Day at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays
(09:50):
and Ben Hackett for producing the show, and thank you
for listening. I'll see you back here again tomorrow for
another day in History class. The picture put in the
p
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