From The Granite Freeman, Concord, New Hampshire (May 22, 1845); reprinted in Frank W. Miller's Portsmouth New Hampshire Weekly, June 2, 1877, under the title "Washington's Runaway Slave, and How Portsmouth Freed Her." Author: Rev. T.H. Adams. (source US History.org)
There is now living in the borders of the town of Greenland, N.H., a runaway slave of Gen. Washington, at present supported by the County of Rockingham. Her name at the time of her elopement was ONA MARIA JUDGE. She is not able to give the year of her escape, but says that she came from Philadelphia just after the close of Washington's second term of the Presidency, which must fix it somewhere in the [early?] part of the year 1797.
Being a waiting maid of Mrs. Washington, she was not exposed to any peculiar hardships. If asked why she did not remain in his service, she gives two reasons, first, that she wanted to be free; secondly that she understood that after the decease of her master and mistress, she was to become the property of a grand-daughter of theirs, by name of Custis, and that she was determined never to be her slave.
Being asked how she escaped, she replied substantially as follows, "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 the colored people of Philadelphia, had my things carried there beforehand, and left Washington's house while they were eating dinner."
She came on board a ship commanded by CAPT. JOHN BOLLES, and bound to Portsmouth, N.H. In relating it, she added, "I never told his name till after he died, a few years since, lest they should punish him for bringing me away. …"
Washington made two attempts to recover her. First, he sent a man by the name of Bassett to persuade her to return; but she resisted all the argument he employed for this end. He told her they would set her free when she arrived at Mount Vernon, to which she replied, "I am free now and choose to remain so."
Finding all attempts to seduce her to slavery again in this manner useless, Bassett was sent once more by Washington, with orders to bring her and her infant child by force. The messenger, being acquainted with Gov. [then Senator John] Langdon, then of Portsmouth, took up lodgings with him, and disclosed to him the object of his mission.
The good old Governor. (to his honor be it spoken), must have possessed something of the spirit of modern anti-slavery. He entertained Bassett very handsomely, and in the meantime sent word to Mrs. Staines, to leave town before twelve o'clock at night, which she did, retired to a place of concealment, and escaped the clutches of the oppressor.
Shortly after this, Washington died, and, said she, "they never troubled me any more after he was gone. …
The facts here related are known through this region, and may be relied on as substantially correct. Probably they were not for years given to the public, through fear of her recapture; but this reason no longer exists, since she is too old and infirm to be of sufficient value to repay the expense of search.
Though a house servant, she had no education, nor any valuable religious instruction; says she never heard Washington pray, and does not believe that he was accustomed to. "Mrs. Washington used to read prayers, but I don't call that praying.["] Since her escape she has learned to read, trusts she has been made "wise unto salvation," and is, I think, connected with a church in Portsmouth.
When asked if she is not sorry she left Washington, as she has labored so much harder since, than before, her reply is, "No, I am free, and have, I trust been made a child of God by the means.["]
Never shall I forget the fire that kindled in her age-bedimmed eye, or the smile that played upon her withered countenance, as I spake of the Redeemer in whom there is neither "bond nor free," bowed with her at the mercy seat and commended her to Him "who heareth prayer" and who regards "the poor and needy when they cry," I felt that were it mine to choose, I would not exchange her possessions, "rich in faith," and sustained, while tottering over the grave, by "a hope full of immortality," for tall the glory and renown of him whose slave she was.
When a black man vitimiza self-accusing a white man for having enslaved his people should remember that almost all people and races have been enslaved and brutalized other humans aware of their own ethnicity as otrasdesde the Sumerians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Muslims, Vikings, Turks, French, Jewish and African kings to the Spanish, Portuguese, English and American.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, in USA the first slaves were white, which as we all know co-existed with black slaves. Most of whom were sold by tribal kings, since they were war captives who were destined to die in ritual sacrifice.
Slavery existed in Africa long before Europeans arrived traffickers. It is a fact that Muslims traded with Africa for many years, not only black but white people in Europe.
The word slave is not the word dereiba Mandingo or Congo or Africa but from the Slavic word, and there is a powerful reason for this.
because for centuries the Slavs and the Germans, Irish, Scots and English were taken captive by Turkish pirates vickingos and then sell them in France and Catalan Jewish traffickers who brought them to Andalusia, southern Spain, where they were duly castrated and sold to the Moors.
We were all victims, Japanese, Chinese, Europeans, Native Americans, Muslims ... at some point in history, and none but women and children, but then to use the speech dishonorable self-victimization is something else. Some people have dignity and therefore even if they choose not to victimize victims, this example is Nelson Mandela.
People self-victimization to justify his failure, his resentment, his despercio itself ... and that's dangerous because they end up believing and living as victims of shackles invibles his soul has created. If all the descendants of slave-victimize Atuto putting on the "honor" the mishandling of the world would be chaos, because it would end the accusations, claims, complaints, desires for revenge ...
The next time a black man wants to accuse another white, to remember that in front of another child of slaves.
The African man was sold by his whites, and had it not been that way most of the descendants of black slaves would not exist, as their ancestors would have died as a burnt flesh in the rites mosntruosos African
To be understood once and for all and forever, so be free of resentment, inferiority complex and compensation espea, the black man was not being black slave but a human being, as happened with the other peoples of the world.
We must arancarse memory and heart chains of victimhood and self-pitty, that is proving to be more harmful than slavery itself.
Dignity, please, dignity, peace and love for all men on earth.
Please forgive me for my bad English, this is not my native language
Denise
The story of ONA MARIA JUDGE, runaway slave of George Washington demonstrates the power of the powerless. In 18th Century America the most powerless people were women, people of color and slaves. ONA MARIA JUDGE was all three. She didn't wallow in her despair about her slave status, she escaped to freedom.
DeleteThis is a wonderful story of that evokes the David vs. Goliath timeless theme of the powerless defeating the powerful. Her story is not fiction or myth it clearly shows how a slave girl can defeat the President of the USA and the General of the Revolutionary War by her self-emancipation.
I only have one phrase for ONA MARIA JUDGE--You go girl!
Thanks for your comments.
--Ron Edwards, US Slave Blog
Oh, oh, the translator of google has made many mistakes, I apologyze. here is my comment again:
ReplyDeleteWhen a black man self-vitimize himself and accuse a white man for having enslaved his people should remember that almost all people and races have been enslaved and brutalized by others races or by their owns. Beginning from the Sumerians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Muslims, Vikings, Turks, French, Jewish and African kings to the Spanish, Portuguese, English and American.
In fact, in USA the first slaves were white, which as we all know co-existed with black slaves; most of whom were sold by tribal kings, since they were war captives who were destined to die in ritual sacrifice.
Slavery existed in Africa long before Europeans traders arrived. It is a fact that Muslims traded with Africans for many years, not only black but white people from Europe.
The word slave doesn´t come from the words Mandingo or Congo or Africa but from the word Slav, and there is a powerful reason for this. For centuries the Slavs and Germans, Irish, Scots and English were taken captive by Turkish pirates and Vickings and sold them in France to Catalan and Jewish traders who brought them to Andalusia, southern Spain, where they were duly castrated and sold to the Moors.
So, it is clear that we all were victims at some point in history. Japanese, Chinese, Europeans, Native Americans, Muslims ..., the greatest victims of all were women and children, there is no justification to use a dishonorable self-victimization speech. Some people have dignity and therefore even they were victims they have chosen not to use the self-victimization tactic, like Nelson Mandela.
People victimize themselves to justify their failure, resentment and self-rejection ... and that's dangerous because they end up believing and living as victims of invisibles shackles, the ones that their souls has created. If all the descendants of slave choose to embrace the "honor" of the victims the world would be chaotic, because the accusations, claims, complaints, desires for revenge ... will never end.
Next time a black man feel like accusing a white, just remember that the white is another child of slaves.
The African man was sold by his owns, and and if it had not happened the slave descendants would not exist.
Let´s understand the following once for all and forever, and be free from resentment, inferiority complex and the hope of compensations: the africans were not enslaved for being black but for being humans, as well as happened with the other human races of the world.
We must pull out from our memory and hearts the chains of victimhood and self-pity, that is proving to be more harmful than slavery itself.
Dignity, please, dignity, peace and love for all men on earth.
Please forgive me for my bad English, this is not my native language
Denise
Hi Denise:
DeleteFirst, thanks for your comments. If you read this blog, you will see that I address the enslavement of various races as well as the African complicity in the transatlantic slave trade. Moreover, this blog moves freely from the past into the present.
The US Slave Blog is an EDUCATIONAL SITE. It is meant to enlighten the depth and complexity of enslavement. Yes, there were certainly winners and losers in the slave game. That doesn't necessarily translate into victims and villains. Yet, vast fortunes were made off of the impoverishment and enslavement of millions of human beings for the self aggrandizement of a tiny few plutocrats.
What's wrong with telling the story from the other side of history? These people lived, they died, they propagated and enriched the Crowns of Spain, Portugal, England, Denmark, France, and the Netherlands.
Yes, slavery is global and ubiquitous throughout the ages. So is rape, incest, and murder. Does that make it right? Just because some African sold his own people to foreign traders....does that compel the foreign traders to BUY THEM?
Oh Hell no! It was a CHOICE to enslave human beings, it was a CHOICE to rape women and children who couldn't consent to sexual advances, it was a CHOICE to steal another man's labor for your own profit. These are/were choices.
I don't apologize for slavery. Owning another human being is wrong. I can't condone the practice of slavery. I'm just trying to understand it and transfer my historical journey for knowledge along for others to unearth the historical graveyards of our not so distant and collective past.
Again thanks for reading and commenting.
--Ron Edwards, US Slave Blog
The African slaves may initially have been sold as war trophies but this was quickly overtaken by the Portuguese and Spanish, later the British, trawling the coastline and rivers to pick up 'slaves' - victims of the trade not of war. They were caught and sold by their own countrymen and also by others who flooded the area to capture the unwary and sell them on.
ReplyDeleteThere were indeed many forms of slavery - but none so vast or lengthy, maybe even vicious and soul destroying, as that practiced in the America's and the Caribbean.
Slavery is all wrong. The slavery that existed in Africa did not dehumanize the victims. The slavery in Africa did not create the belief people of color are inferior. No African country had its economy based and supported by slavery . Chattel slavery that existed in the Americas is NOT something Europeons learned from slavery in Africa. Its funny to hear these demonic slick white devils use these weak arguments. Did the Europeons copy the religon , culture , lanuages , cuisine , family patterns ? No they destroyed them all. The system of slavery that they found resembled serfdom and villenage . Chattel slavery is the sole invention of wicked white people. It is integral to Europeon imperialist culture .
ReplyDeleteYou can not be more wrong.
DeleteIt never ceases to amaze me what length individuals will go to in trying to justify that which is indefensible. Regardless of what man has done to one another throughout history to blame the victim and make preposterous statements with no apparent understanding of the long term effect of slavery upon our country and a race of people is incredulous. How can any individual seriously say that slavery is just a part of man's existence and has no bearing on a society.
ReplyDeleteSuch individuals have probably never stood in line for a job over a hundred years after slavery in the United States ended as I have and heard the white man doing the hiring say hire the white men and send the niggers home.