Never Caught, the Story of Ona Judge: George and Martha Washington's Courageous Slave Who Dared to Run Away; Young Readers Edition

“The broadside showed everyone that the slave trade was brutal and completely inhumane. Illustrations of the ship above the text showed Africans packed together as tightly as possible, with no attention paid to space or cleanliness of hunger or dignity. When the broadside was printed in Philadelphia, it gave the Quakers, and all the other abolitionists—as well as anyone who did not yet hold an opinion about the enslavement of humans—an image of such suffering and pain that the movement to end slavery in Pennsylvania was given a huge shove forward.”

Appeals to emotion and morality are effective in persuading many citizens to acknowledge the inhumane and deplorable nature of slavery. Those people removed from the daily practices of transporting enslaved people can remain unaware and therefore ignorant of these atrocities. Underscoring the way in which the enslaved are indeed human is integral to ending the institution of slavery.

“But standing alongside white servants, Ona would see even more clearly the distinction between their lives and hers. To be a slave—even the favored slave of the wife of the president of the United States—was to be seen as inhuman. To be free was to be given your humanity back.”

Though in some respects, Ona’s tasks may be less physically demanding than those of other enslaved people, she is still forced into an extremely difficult and trying life. The psychological trauma of forced slavey is emphasized here, as it is necessary to insist that Black people are not human in order to enslave them. Even a favorite enslaved person of the US president is still viewed as property.

“One of the reasons why Martha was able to engage in so many social activities, besides her innate energy, was Ona. Like a thermometer permanently set on ‘calm,’ Ona was the constant mood regulator for Martha, who was allowed to act however she wanted—to be sad, to be angry, to snap at someone, to be cool and icy, to be exuberant. Ona was there to help Martha on whatever ruffled emotional ocean she was traveling […] Ona’s ability not to lose her cool—along with her intelligence and bravery—would become even more important to Martha in the days ahead.”

This quote speaks to Ona’s intelligence and maturity, as she soothes any mood Martha has as a parent would a child. Though in other situations, this dynamic could resemble one between good friends, it’s vital to remember that Ona is an enslaved person and considered property. The emotional relationship is in no way reciprocal.

“Because [the new capital] was built in the South, the actual men and women who cleared the land and laid the bricks and cut the lumber were the same resourceful and hardworking labor force who had made the economy of the South so profitable: the enslaved. In fact, it was an element of the compromise among Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton that the slaves who would be working under the hot sun of northern Virginia were going to be rented from slave owners in the South. The majority of them would never be paid for their work.”

The hypocrisy of many of the Founding Fathers is conveyed here. It is easier, for them, to oppose the institution of slavery in theory than in practice. The extent to which the nation relies on the free and forced labor of enslaved people cannot be overstated.

“Like many southerners, including George Washington, [Edmund Randolph] had told himself that the institution of slavery was actually helpful to the slaves—that enslaved men and women were better off with a generous owner, that they were well fed, sheltered, and cared for. In fact, many of these same southern white men and women would have said they treated their slaves almost as though they were members of the family.”

This quote reminds readers of the moral hypocrisy existing in the institution of slavery. It is presented from a position of privilege and used to maintain the status quo wherein Black people are not merely second-class citizens but inferior and even non-human in the eyes of many. The quote also speaks to later conceptualizations of the “white savior” trope.

“[George Washington] blamed the increasingly bold abolitionists in Philadelphia for trying to wreck his lifestyle; these abolitionists made it their priority to find slaves like Ona so that they could tell her about the law in Pennsylvania. Despite his confidence that he treated his slaves well, he knew his slaves would be susceptible to the ‘epidemic’ of black freedom.”

That some white people refer to freedom as an “epidemic” is evidence of racist thought. To justify slavery, many operate under the false belief that the enslaved are grateful for their status, unable to care for themselves if they were to be free. This is an untruth that allows slavery to persist into the 19th century.

“When Tobias Lear confronted Hercules about the Great Abolition Act, Hercules put on a terrific show. He made sure to appear upset and desperate when he told Tobias that he had no intention of leaving the Washingtons. Tobias fell for it; he even wrote to the president, saying that Hercules ‘was mortified to the last degree to think that a suspicion could be entertained of his fidelity or attachment to you.’”

That Hercules lies in order to trick the Washingtons into believing he is uninterested in becoming free is evidence of his intelligence. He knows that were the Washingtons to believe him to be a flight risk, he would no longer be brought north with them but remain at Mount Vernon. His cunning disproves the racist belief of these enslavers and endorsers of slavery who assert that Black people lack the intelligence of white people.

“Tobias grew to be certain that freedom was the only moral choice for all Americans. He talked and wrote about this to George. George replied that he, too, was troubled by human bondage. He implied that he would—at some point—release his slaves into freedom. In the interim, Ona and the other slaves would move from Philadelphia to Mount Vernon and back over and over again.”

Washington’s contradictory aspects are evident here. Though he voices his opposition to slavery in theory, in practice he continues to perpetuate the institution. As he relies heavily on the labor of enslaved people to operate Mount Vernon, freeing his enslaved people would create a labor shortage. Further, George is aware of Martha’s support of slavery, and this would be a necessary factor to navigate were he to free his enslaved people.

“For some white people, darker skin alone was reason to consider black people an inferior race. Even when black people offered up their lives to help whites, as they had during the yellow fever epidemic, they would still be rejected and scorned. This was a valuable lesson for the free black leaders like Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, but it was also a reminder to Ona herself that even if she somehow, some way, eventually claimed her freedom, it was not a ticket to an automatically better life. Freedom did not erase racism. In fact, it could make racism worse.”

This quote speaks to the long-term harm the institution of slavery causes. To justify slavery, enslavers and supporters of the institution must dehumanize the enslaved people, convincing themselves Black people are inferior. This attitude is not easily reversed with the mere eradication of the institution.

“Worse yet, human nature was allowed no outlet in the emotional life of the enslaved. There was no acceptable place for the range of human emotions. If you were afraid, you had to pretend as if you were calm. If your mother and brother had died a month apart, you had to go to work without tears, without a break, without comfort.”

This quote underscores the way in which enslaved people are regarded as not human and expected to perform their work as though they have no emotions. This is just one of the aspects of enslavement that has been severely damaging to those individuals. Since emotions are part of humans, enslavers do not believe enslaved people have them.

“Over the years, Martha had taught herself how to behave publicly as if her entire life were perfect, even when that wasn’t true. She was not happy about Eliza’s marriage and was constantly trying to figure out a plan to ‘protect’ her granddaughter from what she felt was a horrible decision. Yet in public she acted as if she could not be more pleased about the wedding, telling all who would listen about the event and the preparations. Only the people closest to her knew how upset she was.”

This quote indicates Martha Washington’s complex character, revealing one of her main flaws. Only Ona would be aware of the true emotions that, being socially unacceptable, Martha cannot show in public. This speaks to how intelligent Ona is, as she is placed in the difficult role of regulating Martha’s moods and temperament.

“Martha refused to acknowledge the humanity of Ona, so it never occurred to Martha that her slave should not be treated as an object to be given away at her discretion. Although Ona was a human being, she was considered human property, and Martha had the right to give her to Eliza.”

This quote underscores the thinking that allows enslavers like the Washingtons to justify the practice. To reconcile her morals with the act of enslavement, Martha must view Ona not as a human being but as an object and therefore her property. It is this mindset that leads to institutionalized racism in the nation, the effects of which still continue.

“No matter what, Ona had to calm her nerves and raise no suspicions as she packed for the upcoming summer trip to Mount Vernon, as if she were really going to take that journey. Ona already knew that she was not going anywhere near Virginia, as she later recalled, ‘I knew that if I went back to Virginia, I never should get my liberty.’”

It is because Ona is residing in the north that she has the opportunity to escape to freedom. As she plans this escape, however, she must take care not to raise suspicions. This involves going about her tasks as usual. That Ona is successfully able to flee shows her intelligence and ingenuity.

“[Captain John Bowles] allowed Ona Judge to walk on board.

It is possible that Ona’s elegant attitude led Bowles to believe she was a free woman instead of a slave. More likely is that he had been expecting her. It was strange for a young woman at that time, white or black, to travel without a chaperone. If he had believed that she was a free woman traveling, he would probably have stopped and questioned her. But he didn’t.”

Among the many risky actions Ona must take in obtaining freedom is traveling by boat to New Hampshire. This quote reveals how little is known of her plan to escape. The authors must speculate on some aspects based on facts regarding society and social practices at the time.

“Could she? Would she? How dare she? Forget about the impoliteness of now not having a ‘gift’ for Eliza. Now Martha felt as if Ona Judge had humiliated her in public. George must have had to listen to Martha’s cries about Ona’s ingratitude.

‘The girl…was brought up and treated more like a child than a servant,’ he later wrote.”

The Washingtons repeatedly regard Ona’s fleeing as a personal affront. They cling to the false belief that they are providing a good life for their enslaved people and that, therefore, their enslaved people should be both grateful and loyal. The racist belief that Ona is not intelligent enough to desire freedom guides this position.

“From the outside, if you didn’t know her past, you would think [Ona] was just a free black woman, working hard to get a small (but appreciated and deserved) salary. It would be fair to assume that she was overworked and underpaid, which she certainly was. But it would also be fair to assume that all the work and all the pay was worth it to Ona because of the basic fact that she was living the way she—not Martha, not George—chose to live.”

That Ona’s life is more difficult, in some ways, after escaping slavery is repeatedly emphasized. Without the Washingtons providing food, shelter, and clothing, Ona has to work to secure these things. A life of poverty cannot be avoided, but this is immensely preferable to enslavement. The Washingtons do not provide her with the most significant need of all: freedom.

“[Ona] started to walk taller, more proudly, as if she had never been enslaved. It was a performance that all fugitive slaves had to perfect: you couldn’t act like you were scared of being caught when you were in public.”

It is by blending in among a free Black society that Ona is able to live undetected for so long. The stress of possibly being captured is not unfamiliar to Ona, but learning to manage it is essential to her survival. This again highlights Ona’s bravery.

“Ona had humiliated [the Washingtons]. Runaways reminded Americans that slaves were people, not simply property, even if they worked for the president and were able to wear nicer clothes. Ona’s very escape proved that the idea of a ‘benevolent slave owner’ was a lie. Enslavement was never preferable over freedom, even if you got to wear pretty gowns.”

Though George Washington becomes increasingly dubious about the morality of slavery as he ages, he is able to repeatedly justify its practice to himself by insisting that he and Martha treat their enslaved people with kindness. It is this offensive thinking that allows slavery to continue at Mount Vernon. The authors point to the way that even a life of poverty is immensely preferable to one of enslavement.

“The problem was that in George’s quest to understand Ona’s escape, he had fallen back on a wrong-headed assessment of women, rather than accepting the immorality of slavery. In his opinion, women were not as smart as men, and black women were even less smart.”

Initially, George is certain that the only reason Ona would have for fleeing is that she must be in love with a man. As he views her as subservient and inferior, he cannot fathom that she, like any other human being, is driven to escape solely because she desires freedom. Ona repeatedly disproves Washington’s assertion that she is unintelligent.

“Knowing that the Washingtons were going to be furious with her, [Joseph Whipple] wrote that Ona had expressed only affection toward the president and his wife: ‘She expressed great affection and reverence for her Master and Mistress, and without hesitation declared her willingness to return and to serve with fidelity during the lives of the President and his Lady if she could be freed on their decease should she outlive them.”

Whipple does not tell the truth to the Washingtons, as Ona—though she initially leads him to believe she will willingly return to slavery—proves she has no intention of giving up her freedom. Whipple initially, the text suggests, does not wish to anger the president. Later, however, he will suggest that the president consider gradual emancipation of his enslaved people—a bold stance for one to take with the sitting president at this time.

“As Burwell prattles on, Ona finds her resolve. When he finally finishes speaking, she looks him straight in the eyes. Her response is final, and fierce.

‘I am free now and choose to remain so.’”

Time and again, Ona refuses to be swayed by the white men who insist she is better off enslaved. This quote reiterates how valuable her freedom is to Ona and how determined she is not to lose it. These are among Ona’s many admirable qualities.

“In his mind, [Burwell] was fighting not only for George and Martha, but for the south itself.”

Here, readers are reminded that slavery is a volatile political issue at the time—one that remains so for decades to come. Because the economy and way of life of southern states depend on free labor, a change to this practice would be life changing. The quote shows how invested the south is in the institution.

“Martha was angry because she wholeheartedly believed she had treated Ona more like a family member than a servant. In Martha’s opinion, Onanot only should not have had the audacity to run away—she should have been grateful to Martha for her ‘good’ treatment.”

Again and again, Martha regards Ona’s fleeing as a personal affront. She, like her husband, cannot fathom that freedom could be so valuable to Ona as to “give up” the “luxuries” she has enjoyed under the Washingtons. Martha’s views are shortsighted and the result of the racist beliefs that pervade society at this time.