Ona Judge Escapes from George Washington in Philadelphia

Ona Judge, an enslaved woman who had served Martha Washington since childhood, escaped from the President's House in Philadelphia in May 1796. She boarded a ship to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, learning she was to be given as a wedding gift to Martha Washington's granddaughter. Washington dispatched federal customs agents to recapture her — a use of federal authority that alarmed some observers. Judge refused to return, married a free Black sailor named John Staines, and gave several interviews to