Of the museum of africanAmerican History. They should have called you the founding director. Her first book, a fragile freedom, africanamerican women d emancipation in the an antebellum city. Published by yale. An understudy topic up until that point. The perfect person to taken to challenge to recover the story of ona judge. Lets give erika a big round of applause. [applause] good evening, everyone. I would like to thank steve and emily for helping me with arrangements to arrive here. It has been a very, very busy week. This book just came out on tuesday of last week. And so as doug said, my first book was published with Yale University press and this book is more of a sort of crossover trade book for a larger more general audience. So it is a very different experience. Been rewarding. Im a little tired. Forgive me if my voice goes in and out. Ive been talking more than usual. And to be where the story of ona judges life began. What i will do tonight is talk a little bit about i will read from the book and give you a context through slides about oh ks here we are. Im in stereo. Yay and to give you a little context about ona judges life and what i wanted to do with he book. Bout 20 years ago, i was doing research on my first book about africanamerican women in the north. I came across an advertisement for a runaway. An enslaved person who had run rom the president s house in philadelphia in may, 1796. I was sort of caught up looking microfilm at old newspapers, ut this made me pause. I said who was this person that ran away. She was named ona judge in the advertisement. I thought wait a minute, i dont know this person. That was troubling to me because this is my area of expertise and i had no idea who this ona judge was. There was something that was compelling about this advertisement. It never sort of escaped me. I said i will come back to this important story. I am going to try to trace this woman. I need answers. I finished the first book and here i am. Many years later. It was a lengthy process in attempting to recover the work of the life of ona judge. This is recovery work. For those of us who do specifically early africanAmerican History, doing this kind of work in archives where the evidence is slim, factual evidence often doesnt exist because people of color, women n particular, often remain outside of the archives. Which i will say there is no way i would have been able to write this book if i had not written my first book. I needed a grounding in order to be able to write this book about as a woman who is really just absolutely magnificent. When you read this book, you will be blown away by her life. Many folks here at mount vernon this is not a new story. We know about ona judge. You are among a small group of people that know her. Thats the expectation. Want her name to become a household names like a and harriet glas tubman. The title, never caught, was one of my first choices for the title. I presented it to people at the publisher and they hated it. They said itb gives away the story. And i said yeah, but so does 12 years a slave. Honestly, we understand, right . It was 12 years. It was going to end at some point. This is really a history of how a woman who was a fugitive never found freedom. She was never free. She simply was never caught. I think it is a big distinction. One that i wanted to make, especially as i was trying to dismantle what we think about slavery in the south and the north, at this moment where the nation is new. I think that is one of the other things i was really trying to do with this book and that was to allow s to see what the early days of this new country looked like through the life of being gives ed and onas life us the opportunity to look at early virginia, new york, pennsylvania, and New Hampshire. We get to sort of follow her life and look at how this nation is changing, how it is grappling with the issue of slavery, all of these central issues to this new nation and this time we are doing it through a young, black woman who made the choice to run away. As i said, i will read a bit. I will talk and look at a few slides and we will walk together on this journey of onas life. Spring rain drenched the streets of philadelphia in 1796. Weather in the city of brotherly love was often fickle at this time of the year vacillating between extreme cold and oppressive heat. But rain was almost always appreciated in the nations capital. It erased the smells of rotting food, animal waste, and filth that permiated the cobblestone roads of this new nation. It reminded philadelphians that the long and pung punishing winter was behind them and spring rain cleansed the streets and souls of philadelphiaians. It ushered in optimism and hope and a feeling of rebirth. In the midst of the promises of spring, ona judge, a young black enslaved woman received devastating news. She learned that she would leave philadelphia, a city that had become her home. Judge would travel back to irginia and prepare herself to owners hed to her ground daughter. I would introduce you to ona judge. At the age of 22, judge stole herself from the washingtons forcing the president to show a slave catching hand. As a fugitive, judge would test the president s will and his reputation. The most important man in the nation heralded with winning the American Revolution could not reclaim this enslaved woman. Ona judge did what very few others could do. She beat the president. Judge was never caught. I normally show this next slide, you all dont need it because we are here at mount vernon, but this is me on the road doing my dog and pony show, and there are, of course, earlier images but i try to give an image so people have an dea of the Mansion House she was for a good 16 years. Of course, you all were here and dont need this. Today, i will introduce what i am calling i am calling her a new american hero. A slave girl raised at mount vernon who once exposed to the ideas of freedom was compelled to pursue it at any cost. This was a woman who found the ourage it too defy the president , the wit to find allies, to escape, to out negotiate, to run, to survive. Her story at this point is the nly existing lengthy account of a fugitive once held by the washington at least told from her mouth to interviewers. It is perhaps the only only fugitive account from any live is in 18th century virginia, judges life exposes the sting of slavery, the drive of defiance. She guarded what would become sort of freedom for her every ay of her life sever never regretting her decision to fight for what she believed to be her right and that was freedom. In 1789, we know that washington was elected first president of the United States, traveled to new york, the nations first capitol. He and Martha Washington took seven slaves from mount vernon. This is a sketch of federal hall where president washington ould take the oath of office in new york. He would take eventually martha would make her way up to new york. She was unhappy about that move but she went, and they took seven enslaved people from mount vernon and ona judge was one of them. She would be taken from her mother, betty, and her other siblings. Will read a bit from the book to give you an idea of what that moment must have been like. The young ona judge was far from an experienced traveler. The teenager knew only mount vernon and its surroundings and never traveled far from her family and loved ones. For judge, the move must have been similar to the dreaded auction block. Although she was not to be sold to a different owner she was forced to leave her family for an unfamiliar destination hundreds of miles away. Judge would have no choice but to stifle the terror that she felt and go on about the work of comparing to move, folding linens, packing dresses and personal accessories, elping with the grandchildren. These were all things that ona udge would be involved in. Hey were the tasks at hand and it was not her place to change or question. Judge had to remain strong and steady if not for herself than for her mistress who appeared to be falling part at the seams. Like judge, Martha Washington had no choice about the move to new york. Her life was at the direction of her husband, who was now the most powerful man in the country. Mrs. Washington and ona judge may have shared similar concerns, but of course, only Martha Washington was allowed to express discontent and sorrow. Martha washington was unhappy and everyone knew it. Including her frightened slaves. The president s nephew, robert lewis would be aware of it. When he arrived at his estate, things were in disarray. Lewis was chosen to escort his aunt and grandchildren to new york but was surprised and a bit concerned when he arrived to find a frenzied and hectic scene. Lewis wrote quote everything appeared to be in confusion. End quote. The manifestation of ms. Washingtons conflicting eelings. Robert lewis described the departure which finally took place on may 17, 1989. As an emotional moment for the slaves and the first lady quote after an early dinner, and making all necessary arrangements in which we were greatly retarded it brought us to 3 00 in the afternoon when we left mount v. He servants of the house and a number of field negro came to ake leave of their mistress. Numbers seemed agitatedand much affected. My aunt, equally so. Betty, ona judges mother, must have been one of those agitated slaves. Not only was she losing her 16yearold daughter but also losing her son austin who would serve as one of the washingtons waiters. Austins wife and their children would have joined in the morning. Betty watched her children leave mount vernon, a reminder of what little control slave mothers had over the lives of their children. If she found any comfort in that day, it would have been brother and sister were traveling together. Austin was holder and male and could look out for his younger sister. Still, betty knew that her relationship with her children would never be the same. The washingtons would travel to new york and their visit here was relatively brief. They would leave for philadelphia in november in 1790 when the site of the nations capitol changed again. Ona would go with the washingtons and be one of nine enslaved people who traveled to hiladelphia. They were going to head south to philadelphia. We dont have an image. Let me see if we go forward. Nope. K. Pretend that you see the president s house. [laughter] which it was a lithograph. An image of a lithograph from the president s house which actually now for those familiar with philadelphia if you go to the liberty bell and constitution hall, the house is actually right there. I will tell you, this is sort of an aside, when i was watching all the preelection coverage and there was a speech given by formal president barack obama and Hillary Clinton it was smack in the middle of this courtyard at Independence Hall and i am watching the visual with the crowds and what have you and off to the right is where the president s house stood. I thought wow. Here we are watching this moment. Im like ona is still there. She wont let me go. She follows me everywhere. February, 1796 brought a palpable unease. Er and her enslaved companions treaded lightly around george and Martha Washington. Enslaved men and women always moved about their days with caution, not knowing what events could sour or sweeten an owners mood. For slaves who resided in the same walls with the owner life could be like walking in a land of embedded land mines. The smallest of matters such as the accidental breaking of a dish or inconveniently timed bad weather, could alter the disposition of an owner. Although the president did not earn the reputation of being a violent or extremely punishing slave owner he did on occasion lose his temper. Ona judge went through her daily tasks at at the president s house with a smooth watchfulness attending to Martha Washington with a care. As she helped her dress for the day. For seven years, judge served her mistress well up north. She became Martha Washingtons closest body slave. All who the washingtons on a personal level were familiar ith judge. She often accompanied her mistress on social calls. The first ladys life was filled with socializing and public events. It is important to realize this relationship between mistress and enslaved person in terms of ona judge it was an intimate relationship. Not necessarily in the best of ways but ona was around Martha Washington constantly helping her with the most intimate of responsibilities, dressing, bathing and combing hair. She was around. She heard everything that went on in the executive mansion. Judge understood her mistress. She knew how much Martha Washington loved her grandchildren. She outlived all of her children fathered by her first husband. Martha washington had no choice but to look to the grandchildren of ope and enjoyment. And although she was only 27 years old when she married George Washington, their marriage never yielded offspring. Martha and George Washington welcomed two of washingtons children in the home and raise hem up into adulthood. Lets hope we have a picture. We do. Judge must have witnessed the shock and concern of her owners. After they read through the mail on february 6, the resident received a letter fromeliza, his 19yearold step randchild, informing of her of ntion to marry, writing the engagement to thomas law, a British Business man who came to america only recently in 1794 and became involved in Land Development around the federal city. Law met eliza who was 20 years his junior. Her father was deceased and washington stood in as an appropriate surrogate to approve or reject the marriage proposal. The news must have sent the executive mansion into a tailspin. Although this was personal family business, everyone who lived within the walls of the president house knew exactly what was happening. It is interesting when we read some of the letters john adams write about this interesting situation, this relationship thateliza was entering into. They were question about who this law person was and writes home about the situation. Neither george nor Martha Washington knew about the seriousness of the relationship between eliza and law and there was much to be concerned about with this union. Law arrived in america with two of his three children both who were the offspring from a relationship with an indian woman. They were biracial. His iracial children and age raised the eyebrows of the washingtons. There were concerns she might decide to go back to england and could take her with him. Ona judge watched their owners feel their way through the dru dramat dramatic events of february 1796. Martha washingtons concerns must have turned to optimism because by the end of the month she announced the upcoming matrimony. She moved through her fear, her concern, her anger for not knowing about this and she began to think of the union in the best possible way. Ona judge had no idea this acceptance of the marriage by both george and Martha Washington would begin the unraveling of her life. So they were married on march 21, 1796 and the marriage signaled the beginning of major changes for the washingtons and for their slaves. Judge most certainly knew her time in philadelphia was limited. By the march wedding, close family knew that George Washington would not run again for president. This was no secret in the executive mansion and eventually all of their lives would change once they returned to mount vernon. The idea of connecting with loved ones in virginia must have given some of the slaves in the mansion reason to celebrate. Judge had lived in the north for seven years. And the thought of returning to mount vernon did not settle well. A return to mount vernon was a reminder to judge and her enslaved companions that they were considered the property of another person. And after living in a free northern city, this was a difficult concept to swallow. For ona judge ks however, the uncertainty vanished as her fate was revealed. I think it is important to realize that as ona judge comes to philadelphia as a teenager. 16 or 17 years old and spends these formative years in philadelphia watching free black philadelphia grow. She watched Richard Allen build mother bethel around the corner, she saw free black men and women selling soup on the street, they were entrepreneurs. It wasnt necessarily easy but she saw freedom. She could almost feel it, taste it, smell it. She would go to the circus, theater. These were things she would never be able to do in virginia. And then with the marriage of eliza, she realizes that her fate or at least her fate was revealed. This marriage and change of lifes circumstances would cut judges residencey in philadelphia short. Ona would not return to philadelphia from her annual so juran to mount vernon. Judge would not be around to witness the president s final months in office. Martha washingtons deep concern for her granddaughter trumped any relationship she ay have forged with judge. Sensing thateliza had entered into a marriage for which she was unprepared, the first lady made a decision rgs and the term first lady isnt used at this moment. It is not used until later on in the 19th century but i use it as part of this narrative i authored. The first lady made a decision that would help her grand daughter navigate through the ransition of marriage. She would give ona judge toeliza. Although judge had earned the top spot among Martha Washingtons personal slives, here was no way for judge to amass enough personal or emotional capital to convince her owner to change her mind. Judges fate was now in the hands of eliza law, a woman who was approximately the same age and known for having a difficult, sometimes volatile temper. I always show this image gives us an nk it idea of eliza and she is a force to be reckoned with. Sometimes i think she got a little bit of a bad rap but her family wrote about her temper. This is something ona judge is familiar with. A shift to the household of the rritable and volcanic eliza. Would most likely doom judge to a life of poor treatment and uncertainty and she simply i will read another passage from the book to give you an idea of what that moment was like for her. Judge knew what the future held should she not take the advice of her free black associates. She supposed if s