Never Caught : The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge

A startling and eye-opening look into America's First Family, Never Caught is the powerful narrative of Ona Judge, George and Martha Washington's runaway slave who risked it all to escape the nation's capital and reach freedom. When George Washington was elected president, he reluctantly left behind his beloved Mount Vernon to serve in Philadelphia, the temporary seat of the nation's capital, after a brief stay in New York. In setting up his household he took Tobias Lear, his celebrated secretary, and nine slaves, including Ona Judge, about which little has been written. As he grew accustomed to Northern ways, there was one change he couldn't get his arms around: Pennsylvania law required enslaved people be set free after six months of residency in the state. Rather than comply, Washington decided to circumvent the law. Every six months he sent the slaves back down south just as the clock was about to expire. Though Ona Judge lived a life of relative comfort, the few pleasantries she was afforded were nothing compared to freedom, a glimpse of which she encountered first-hand in Philadelphia. So, when the opportunity presented itself one clear and pleasant spring day in Philadelphia, Judge left everything she knew to escape to New England. Yet freedom would not come without its costs. At just twenty-two-years-old, Ona became the subject of an intense manhunt led by George Washington, who used his political and personal contacts to recapture his property. Impeccably researched, historian Erica Armstrong Dunbar weaves a powerful tale and offers fascinating new scholarship on how one young woman risked it all to gain freedom from the famous founding father A Revelatory Account Of The Actions Taken By The First President To Retain His Slaves In Spite Of Northern Laws. Profiles One Of The Slaves, Ona Judge, Describing The Intense Manhunt That Ensued When She Ran Away.--novelist. When George And Martha Washington Moved From Their Beloved Mount Vernon In Virginia To Philadelphia, Then The Seat Of The Nation's Capital, They Took Nine Enslaved People With Them. They Would Serve As Cooks And Horsemen, As House Servants And Personal Attendants. The North Was Different For The Entire Household, Free And Enslaved, White And Black. There Was A New Climate To Adjust To, And New Mores As Well. Slavery, In Philadelphia At Least, Was Looked Down Upon. Indeed, There Was Even A Law Requiring Slaveholders To Free Their Slaves After Six Months. Yet George Washington Thought He Could Outwit And Circumvent The Law By Sending His Slaves South Every Six Months, Thereby Resetting The Clock. Among The Slaves To Figure Out This Subterfuge Was Ona Judge, Martha Washington's Chief Attendant. Having Interacted With Philadelphia's Sizable Free Black Community, Ona Judge Observed And Soon Longed For Liberation. And, Risking Everything She Knew, Leaving Behind Everyone She Loved And Had Known Her Entire Life, She Fled. Here, Then, Is The Story Not Only Of The Powerful Lure Of Freedom But Also Of George Washington's Determination To Recapture His Property By Whatever Means Necessary. Never Caught Is The Only Book That Examines The Life Of An Eighteenth-century Fugitive Woman In Intricate Detail, And It Provides A New Look At George Washington's Relationship To Slavery. An Important New Work On One Of The World's Most Celebrated Families, Never Caught Is A Must-read For Anyone Interested In American History.--dust Jacket. Betty's Daughter -- New York-bound -- New York In Black And White -- The Move To Philadelphia -- The Blacks In The Family -- Life In Philadelphia -- The Wedding -- The Fugitive -- Slavery And Freedom In New Hampshire -- A Close Call -- The Negotiator -- Mrs. Staines -- The Survivor -- Epilogue: Ona's Sister : Philadelphia Costin. Erica Armstrong Dunbar. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. A startling and eye-opening look into America's First Family, Never Caught is the powerful story about a daring woman of "extraordinary grit" ( The Philadelphia Inquirer ). When George Washington was elected president, he reluctantly left behind his beloved Mount Vernon to serve in Philadelphia, the temporary seat of the nation's capital. In setting up his household he brought along nine slaves, including Ona Judge. As the President grew accustomed to Northern ways, there was one change he couldn't abide: Pennsylvania law required enslaved people be set free after six months of residency in the state. Rather than comply, Washington decided to circumvent the law. Every six months he sent the slaves back down south just as the clock was about to expire. Though Ona Judge lived a life of relative comfort, she was denied freedom. So, when the opportunity presented itself one clear and pleasant spring day in Philadelphia, Judge left everything she knew to escape to New England. Yet freedom would not come without its costs. At just twenty-two-years-old, Ona became the subject of an intense manhunt led by George Washington, who used his political and personal contacts to recapture his property. "A crisp and compulsively readable feat of research and storytelling" ( USA TODAY ), historian and National Book Award finalist Erica Armstrong Dunbar weaves a powerful tale and offers fascinating new scholarship on how one young woman risked everything to gain freedom from the famous founding father and most powerful man in the United States at the time. "When George and Martha Washington moved from their beloved Mount Vernon in Virginia to Philadelphia, then the seat of the nation's capital, they took nine enslaved people with them. They would serve as cooks and horsemen, as house servants and personal attendants. The North was different for the entire household, free and enslaved, white and black. There was a new climate to adjust to, and new mores as well. Slavery, in Philadelphia at least, was looked down upon. Indeed, there was even a law requiring slaveholders to free their slaves after six months. Yet George Washington thought he could outwit and circumvent the law by sending his slaves south every six months, thereby resetting the clock. Among the slaves to figure out this subterfuge was Ona Judge, Martha Washington's chief attendant. Having interacted with Philadelphia's sizable free black community, Ona Judge observed and soon longed for liberation. And, risking everything she knew, leaving behind everyone she loved and had known her entire life, she fled. Here, then, is the story not only of the powerful lure of freedom but also of George Washington's determination to recapture his property by whatever means necessary. Never Caught is the only book that examines the life of an eighteenth-century fugitive woman in intricate detail, and it provides a new look at George Washington's relationship to slavery. An important new work on one of the world's most celebrated families, Never Caught is a must-read for anyone interested in American history."-- publisher Finalist for the National Book Award for Nonfiction A startling and eye-opening look into America’s First Family, Never Caught is the powerful story about a daring woman of “extraordinary grit” ( The Philadelphia Inquirer ). When George Washington was elected president, he reluctantly left behind his beloved Mount Vernon to serve in Philadelphia, the temporary seat of the nation’s capital. In setting up his household he brought along nine slaves, including Ona Judge. As the President grew accustomed to Northern ways, there was one change he couldn’t abide: Pennsylvania law required enslaved people be set free after six months of residency in the state. Rather than comply, Washington decided to circumvent the law. Every six months he sent the slaves back down south just as the clock was about to expire. Though Ona Judge lived a life of relative comfort, she was denied freedom. So, when the opportunity presented itself one clear and pleasant spring day in Philadelphia, Judge left everything she knew to escape to New England. Yet freedom would not come without its costs. At just twenty-two-years-old, Ona became the subject of an intense manhunt led by George Washington, who used his political and personal contacts to recapture his property. “A crisp and compulsively readable feat of research and storytelling” ( USA TODAY ), historian Erica Armstrong Dunbar weaves a powerful tale and offers fascinating new scholarship on how one young woman risked everything to gain freedom from the famous founding father. A startling and eye-opening look into America's First Family, Never Caught is the powerful narrative of Ona Judge, George and Martha Washington's runaway slave who risked it all to escape the nation's capital and reach freedom. When George Washington was elected president, he reluctantly left behind his beloved Mount Vernon to serve in Philadelphia, the temporary seat of the nation's capital. In setting up his household he took Tobias Lear, his celebrated secretary, and eight slaves, including Ona Judge, about which little has been written. As he grew accustomed to Northern ways, there was one change he couldn't get his arms around: Pennsylvania law required enslaved people be set free after six months of residency in the state. Rather than comply, Washington decided to circumvent the law. Every six months he sent the slaves back down south just as the clock was about to expire. Though Ona Judge lived a life of relative comfort, the few pleasantries she was afforded were nothing compared to freedom, a glimpse of which she encountered first-hand in Philadelphia. So, when the opportunity presented itself one cold spring day in Philadelphia, Judge left everything she knew to escape to New England. Yet freedom would not come without its costs. At just twenty-two years old, Ona became the subject of an intense manhunt led by George Washington, who used his political and personal contacts to recapture his property When George and Martha Washington moved from Mount Vernon in Virginia to Philadelphia, then the seat of the nation's capital, they took nine enslaved people with them. There was a Pennsylvania law requiring slaveholders to free their slaves after six months of residency in the state. Washington sought to circumvent the law by sending his slaves south every six months, thereby resetting the clock. Among the slaves to figure out this subterfuge was Ona "Oney" Judge, Martha Washington's chief attendant. Ona Judge risked everything she knew, and left behind everyone she had known her entire life, and fled north. This is the story of Ona Judge's quest for freedom and of George Washington's determination to recapture her