It is impossible for someone to be without fault and the first President of this country was extremely complicated. The same person who held and wrote grand ideas of freedom from the monarchy is the same person who utilized the federal government to capture an enslaved woman who took her freedom into her own hands.

In the middle of 1790, a woman who was held in bondage by the family of the first Commander in Chief of this country took her life into her own hands and seemed to simply disappear. For the rest of her life, Ms. Judge was on the run from a life in bondage and the single focus of the President. Even through all of this, she was able to carve out a life for herself and have a family.

For the first session of this two-part session, we will start with the first person to hold the title of commander in chief. George Washington and Ona Judge are connected in a way that is not taught to us that would give us a fuller picture of the man who led this country through its revolution from the British monarchy. 

Please do not feel pressured to read all of the articles. Get through what you can and even if you don’t read any, you can still participate in the discussions!

Register in advance for this session:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcldu2przIsGdetLJjw2MOatLvoy6ku-sl7

George Washington and slavery 

• https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-enslaved-household-of-president-george-washington

• https://news.yahoo.com/database-reveals-u-congressmen-owned-145034260.html 

• https://www.history.com/news/did-george-washington-really-free-mount-vernons-slaves

Ona Judge:

• https://www.history.com/news/george-washington-and-the-slave-who-got-away 

• https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-remarkable-story-of-ona-judge (recommended)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9qf6WWc6QU (~ 6 minute video)

• https://gimletmedia.com/shows/uncivil/z3hdrm/the-fugitive?utm_source=gimletWebsite&utm_medium=copyShare&utm_campaign=gimletWebsite (highly recommended podcast episode ~ 30 mins)

The laws: 

• https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/gradual-abolition-act-of-1780/ 

• https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/gradual-abolition-in-pennsylvania-lancaster-history-org/vQJCHcCeyj8AIw?hl=en (interactive for those who are more visual) 

• https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/fugitive-slave-acts