Never Caught：The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge

Astartlingandeye-openinglookintoAmerica’sFirstFamily,NeverCaughtisthepowerfulnarrativeofOnaJudge,GeorgeandMarthaWashington’srunawayslavewhoriskedeverythingtoescapethenation’scapitalandreachfreedom.WhenGeorgeWashingtonwaselectedpresident,hereluctantlylefthisbelovedMountVernontoserveinPhiladelphia,thetemporaryseatofthenation’scapital.InsettinguphishouseholdhetookTobiasLear,hiscelebratedsecretaryandeightslaves,includingOnaJudge,aboutwhomlittlehasbeenwritten.AshegrewaccustomedtoNorthernways,therewasonechangehecouldn’tgethisarmsaround:Pennsylvanialawrequiredenslavedpeoplebesetfreeaftersixmonthsofresidencyinthestate.Ratherthancomply,Washingtondecidedtocircumventthelaw.Everysixmonthshesenttheslavesbackdownsouthjustastheclockwasabouttoexpire.ThoughOnaJudgelivedalifeofrelativecomfort,thefewpleasantriesshewasaffordedwerenothingcomparedtofreedom,aglimpseofwhichsheencounteredfirst-handinPhiladelphia.So,whentheopportunitypresenteditself,JudgelefteverythingsheknewtoescapetoNewEngland.Yetfreedomwouldnotcomewithoutitscosts.Atjusttwenty-two-years-old,OnabecamethesubjectofanintensemanhuntledbyGeorgeWashington,whousedhispoliticalandpersonalcontactstorecapturehisproperty.Withimpeccableresearch,historianEricaArmstrongDunbarweavesapowerfultaleandoffersfascinatingnewscholarshiponhowoneyoungwomanriskeditalltogainfreedomfromthefamousfoundingfather.