Oney Judge
Oney Judge ( also Ona ) (* circa 1773, † February 25, 1848 in Greenland, New Hampshire) was a slave at George Washington's Mount Vernon plantation in Virginia. From 1789, she was a servant in Washington's presidential household, in 1796, she fled to freedom and all attempts to bring them back again into slavery, were in vain. She is the best known of the Mount Vernon slaves, as she was interviewed in the 1840s twice by abolitionist newspapers.
Childhood
Oney was the daughter of Betty, an enslaved seamstress, and Andrew Judge, a white Schneider, who worked as a wage slave at Mount Vernon. Oney came into the mansion when she was about 10 years old, probably as a playmate for Martha Washington's granddaughter, Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis ( Nelly ). Finally, it was Martha Washington's personal servant.
In the household of the President
She and seven other slaves: Austin, Giles, Paris, Moll, Christopher Sheels and William Lee were brought in 1789 to New York City to work there in the first presidential household. After the budget in 1790 moved to the new capital Philadelphia, were added three slaves who worked in the presidential household: Hercules, Richmond and " Postilion " Joe Richardson ( Joe's wife took after being released by George Washington named Richardson, while Joe himself, as " dowry " slave of Martha Washington, was released not ). Austin was Oneys older half- brother, 15 years her superior.
Pennsylvania had begun in 1780 with the abolition of slavery and banned there non-resident holding of slaves within the state for more than six months. In addition, the Gradual Abolition Act slaves was a legal power to liberate themselves. Washington argued ( privately ) that his presence in Pennsylvania is based exclusively on the fact that Philadelphia was the temporary headquarters of the state and that the state laws themselves would not be governed by it. In a letter to his lawyer, Edmund Randolph, he saw it as useful slaves who worked to rotate in and out of the state to prevent this 6- month control could grab in the presidential household. He was careful never even six months at a time in Pennsylvania to be argued and continue to be a resident of Virginia. This rotation was a violation of the laws of Pennsylvania, this action of the President but had no legal consequences.
The Escape
According to an interview from 1845, Oney fled to freedom in May or June 1796, after she had heard that Martha Washington had promised to give it to one of her granddaughters, Elizabeth Parke Custis Law, to the wedding to:
" Whilst theywere packing up to go to Virginia, I was packing to go, I did not 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 before hand, and left Washington 's house while theywere eating dinner. "
Oney was hiding after their escape from free black friends in Philadelphia. She went on board a sailing vessel to the north "The Nancy ". In September they reached Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Washington was considering her kidnapping and her back by ship. The " customs officer " of Portsmouth, Joseph Whipple, interrogated and reported it to the President. The plan of abduction was discarded after Whipple's warning that if the public would learn of this kidnapping, there could be riots on the docks.
After the end of Washington's term in office in 1797, his nephew Burwell Bassett Jr. traveled to New Hampshire to talk about Oney to return. She refused and his attempt they failed to kidnap. She married the free black seaman John Staines. They had three children: Eliza, Nancy and Will.
After Oneys escape, her younger sister was Delphy (* 1779), the wedding gift Martha Washington's granddaughter. Delphy and her children were released in 1807.
Never free
Oney was a " dowry " slave, as they had been part of the estate of Martha Washington's first husband Daniel Parke Custis ( 1711-1757 ). Why it was not released as the 124 " Washington slaves " after his death in 1799 his last will go into the wild. In fact, about 153 dowry slaves were divided from Custis owned by Martha Washington's death in 1802 under her grandchildren. According to the law Oneys children were also " dowry " slaves, although her father was a free man and they were born in New Hampshire. Staines and all three children died before her.
With the slaves escape Act of 1793 there was the legal possibility to retrieve their possessions for the slaveholders. A law that them to the U.S. Constitution was guaranteed by the "slaves escape Klauses " (Article 4, paragraph 2). The law was in 1793 overwhelmingly passed by Congress and signed by Washington as a law. Thus, it was to help a slave to escape a criminal offense, it was about all the laws of individual states, the fugitive slaves would eventually given shelter and allowed slave hunters in all U.S. states and territories.
This Federal law Oney Judge Staines lived the last 52 years of her life as a fugitive. She died in Greenland, New Hampshire on 25 February 1848.
Commemoration
On 25 February 2008 her 160th death anniversary, Philadelphia celebrated the first " Oney Judge Day", next to the Presidential House in the 6th Market Street. The ceremony included speeches by historians and activists, a proclamation by the Mayor Michael A. Nutter and a memorandum by the City Council.
Oney Judge it history was the inspiration for numerous works:
- Taking Liberty by Ann Rinaldi, novella, 2002
- The Escape of Oney Judge by Emily Arnold McCully, Children's Book, 2007
- A House with No Walls by Thomas Gibbons, Drama, 2007
- Drunk History Volume 3 by Derek Waters.
- Silent No Longer: The Story of Oney Judge Video