Ona Judge, an enslaved woman on the estate of George Washington and his family, had the courage to escape a “privileged” life in captivity to find an uncertain, but priceless future in freedom.
Ona Judge Staines Day was first celebrated in New Hampshire on May 21, 2022. The state honored her with a marker in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and the National Park Service has also recognized her burial site. On May 21, 1796, Ona–a young, domestic servant–escaped from the home of George Washington and his family and remained free, living out the rest of her life in New Hampshire.
Perhaps, like me, you wondered who she was and why, after more than two hundred years, she is being celebrated. I heard her story for the first time last year, and I was moved by her strength and determination in the face of great danger and major challenges. Much has been written about her life because she “belonged” to the Washington family, escaped them, and was never recaptured. Ona Judge Staines was definitely the one that got away. When you have an opportunity, consider reading her life story. There are also videos about her on YouTube.
What impressed me the most was her willingness to live New Hampshire’s motto—“Live Free or Die”— before it became the state’s motto. Ona was willing to die before she would return to being enslaved by the Washingtons. Interestingly enough, the Washingtons did try to recapture her, but because Mr. Washington was the president, he was not willing to have Judge chased by dogs and dragged back to Virginia as was the routine when finding runaway slaves.
The Washingtons were said to have been disappointed by Judge’s ingratitude. They claimed they treated her well… as treating slaves goes. Judge was a domestic enslaved person who worked inside the home as Ms. Washington’s personal attendant. In their attempt to convince her to return, it is said they offered her better conditions. Despite multiple attempts to bring her back to enslavement at the Washington residence, including sending the president’s nephew to New Hampshire to kidnap her, she never gave up the pursuit of liberty, even when her life was in danger, and she was under great pressure for defying the president of the new United State of America.
Life was tough for Judge. It was difficult for her to find and keep work. She married (Staines was her husband’s last name) and had three children, but always lived in poverty. Her husband and her two daughters died before her. Her son left New Hampshire, and she never saw him again. Although she was never again enslaved, the Washington family never legally freed her or her children.
The Washingtons may have been so entrenched in their belief that they could not fathom that a person of African descent could even have the capacity to understand the value of their personal freedom. It appears they believed they lacked the capacity for this analysis, and that there was only one way for them to live. It is always mind-boggling to understand how President Washington fought against the oppression of England, but could not see his oppression of the enslaved.
Ona Judge rejected the notion there was only one way she could live and fought with all she had to stay free. She endured poverty and, no doubt, hunger. She lost all of her immediate family and lived on. She self-emancipated, lived life to the best of her ability under the circumstances, and died free. In an interview with an abolitionist newspaper before her death, she said she never regretted her decision to live free.
In some spiritual belief systems, freedom is considered a spiritual principle. Spiritual principles are beliefs that can help us navigate our life’s journey. Even at that time, with all the dangers she faced as an enslaved human, Judge understood the importance of this principle and was willing to sacrifice all the physical comforts offered by the Washingtons for it. Although “Live Free or Die” wasn’t declared New Hampshire’s state motto until 1809, Judge was still living then, dying in 1848. Yet, she had lived by that motto her entire life.
Sometimes, we choose a course or to work on ourselves, and we wonder about our path. Ona Judge Staines stuck with her belief and walked the walk, although she suffered greatly. One of the lessons I got from this story is that sometimes no one is going to give you a gold star or recognize the things you have to do for yourself. You have to recognize who you are and stand in your choice. Over 200 years after escaping from slavery, Ona Judge Staines has been recognized and celebrated for her courage and valor in standing for the spiritual principle of freedom.