Ona Judge was born into slavery around 1774 on George Washington’s estate at Mount Vernon.

As a teenager during Washington’s Presidency, One Judge continued to serve the household, specifically with Martha Washington in New York and Philadelphia.

However, she learned she would be forced into the service of Martha’s granddaughter, and in a letter later published, Ona Judge recalled that she was determined never to be her slave and secured passage on a ship to New Hampshire in 1796.

Over the next few years, George Washington made several attempts to have Ona Judge returned, but she successfully convinced those tasked to bring her back that she would not go, or had help from friends in avoiding capture.

In 2021, Virginia honored Ona Judge’s journey to freedom, with a historical highway marker just outside of Mount Vernon. The marker shares her story, explaining, she escaped from Philadelphia to New Hampshire, “married, had three children, taught herself to read and write, and lived for more than 50 years, having resisted Washington’s attempts to recover her.”

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