7/7/2023 0 Comments Ona judge death![]() ![]() The work was more difficult than what she had done as Martha’s maid, but she was paid for it and could make her own life. When Ona arrived in Portsmouth, she was taken in by a free Black family who helped her find work as a domestic servant. It is likely the captain of the ship was a known ally of the free Black community in Philadelphia because otherwise, someone would have reported seeing a Black woman traveling alone to the authorities. It was too dangerous for her to stay in Philadelphia, so she soon boarded a ship headed to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She left the presidential mansion on May 21, 1796, when the Washingtons were eating dinner. With the help of the free Black community of Philadelphia, Ona made her escape. So Ona decided it was time to take her own freedom. Ona was probably also worried that Thomas would assault her based on Martha’s concerns. Ona was not interested in being given to someone who would treat her poorly. Eliza had a reputation as a demanding woman with a bad temper. Once again, Ona had no choice in the matter. Martha announced that she planned to give Ona to Eliza so Eliza would have the support of an outstanding maid while starting her new household. Martha probably told Ona that she feared her new grandson-in-law was a man who took advantage of women of color. He brought two half-Indian children to the marriage. Thomas was a former British government officer who had lived in India. Martha was originally very unhappy with the marriage. Ona’s life changed forever in March 1796 when Martha’s beloved grandchild, Eliza Custis, married Thomas Law. Being Martha’s maid meant Ona was constantly in the presence of her enslaver and had very little time for herself. She also became someone Martha trusted with all her worries and cares. She accompanied Martha on social visits around the city. It was Ona’s job to care for Martha’s wardrobe and perform any chores or errands she required. She was assigned to be Martha’s personal maid. In that time, Ona became Martha’s most trusted enslaved person. Ona listened, learned, and waited for almost seven years until she took action to free herself. In 1793, Congress passed the first Fugitive Slave Law, making it easier for enslavers to reclaim enslaved people who escaped to freedom. In the Caribbean, the work was especially hard and the life expectancy for enslaved people was very short. Enslaved people who repeatedly caused problems on his plantation or tried to self-emancipate were sold to plantations in the Caribbean. George Washington whipped and physically punished the people he enslaved when they disobeyed him. The possibility was exciting, but self-emancipating was dangerous. She learned about organized efforts to abolish slavery and how individuals emancipated themselves by running away to states where slavery was abolished. In Philadelphia, Ona met a thriving community of free Black Americans. George and Martha had complete control over her life. It must have been difficult for Ona to leave her mother and siblings behind, but she had no choice. Sixteen-year-old Ona was one of only nine enslaved people chosen to move with the Washingtons to the presidential mansion. Over the next eight years, he moved his household to New York City and then to Philadelphia. In 1789, George Washington was elected as the first president of the United States. This was an improvement in status, but the work was still very difficult. She must have been a hard worker because when she was 12 years old Martha brought her into the main house and began training her as a housemaid. As a young child, Ona assisted her mother and did small jobs around the plantation. It is not known whether Betty and Andrew’s relationship was consensual.Įven though her father was a free white man, Virginia law stated that Ona inherited the status of enslaved person from her mother. ![]() Her father, Andrew Judge, was a white indentured servant who worked on the same plantation. Her mother, Betty Davis, was an enslaved Black woman held by George and Martha Washington at their plantation, Mount Vernon, in Virginia. Ona Judge Staines was born in April 1774. ![]()
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