Escape of Ona Judge

Ona Judge (c.1773-1848) was brought to Philadelphia in 1790 as the enslaved house servant of First Lady Martha Washington. She escaped from the President's House on May 21, 1796, to New Hampshire with the assistance of the city's African American community. President Washington's attempts to recapture her were unsuccessful, as he met resistance from federal officials who would not comply with the Fugitive Slave Act. Judge lived as a free woman for the rest of her life.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · United States