Ona Judge Outwits the Washingtons: An Enslaved Woman Fights for Freedom

by Gwendolyn Hooks, Simone Agoussoye (Illustrator)

Overview

Soon after American colonists had won independence from Great Britain, Ona Judge was fighting for her own freedom from one of America's most famous founding fathers, George Washington. George and Martha Washington valued Ona as one of their most skilled and trustworthy slaves, but she would risk everything to achieve complete freedom. Born into slavery at Mount Vernon, Ona seized the opportunity to escape when she was brought to live in the President's Mansion in Philadelphia. Ona fled to New Hampshire and started a new life. But the Washingtons wouldn't give up easily. After her escape, Ona became the focus of a years-long manhunt, led by America's first president. Gwendolyn Hooks' vivid and detailed prose captures the danger, uncertainty, and persistence Ona Judge experienced during and after her heroic escape.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781543512809
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	10/01/2019
Series:	Encounter: Narrative Nonfiction Picture Books Series
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	700L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Gwendolyn Hooks has written many books including If You Were A Kid During the Civil Rights Movement, The Cat Food Mystery, and Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas, for which she received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature. She is the recipient of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Crystal Kite Award and her book  Block Party  is a Junior Library Guide selection. Gwendolyn resides in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Interviews

This book introduces a seldom explored topic: the contradiction of our founding fathers' interpretation of freedom during the founding of the United States of America — all men are created equal, and yet many, including George Washington, kept slaves such as Ona Judge.; Consultant reviewed this material to ensure historical accuracy and cultural sensitivity.; Back matter includes further reading and an afterword provide additional historical context.

Editorial Reviews

Hooks is unflinching in her depiction of slavery, and weaves Ona’s personal story into the larger national story of enslaved blacks in America. . . .Hooks contrasts the radical difference between the newly experienced freedom of white Americans beginning their democratic experiment, and the conditions of enslaved blacks, who were considered property, not citizens. . . .The story is an accessible corrective to whitewashed versions of US history. Simone Agoussoye’s illustrations are warm and evocative. Her thoughtful use of color adds emotional depth to the picture book. This beautiful book is a must-have for personal and school libraries. It can be used during lessons on history, biography, or civics.

Raise Them Righteous

Ona Judge was an African American woman born into slavery in 1773 and enslaved to the Washington family, first at the family’s plantation at Mount Vernon—later, after George Washington became president, at the President’s House in Philadelphia, then the nation’s capital city. This story tells of her journey to freedom. She was a skilled and trustworthy slave but risked everything she knew to flee to freedom. Inspired by free black women she saw in the market selling pepperpot stew, she believed freedom was possible for her, too. When she was living in the President’s Mansion in Philadelphia, she enlisted the help of Richard Allen, a free black man who was a minister, a chimney sweep, and free. With the help of his trusted circle, she escaped to New Hampshire, where she started a new life. The Washington’s continued to search for her, creating a years-long hunt. Her persistence and wit allowed her to stay hidden and ultimately free, despite the harrowing dangers she often faced. Told in prose, this book offers a look at the contradiction of what the founding fathers meant by freedom during the inception of the United States.

The Children's Book Review - Dr. Laura Kieselbach

2019-08-12
A little-known true story of a slave sheds new light on George Washington and his family.

Ona Maria Judge was born a slave on Mount Vernon, the Virginia plantation of George Washington, commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Ona's mother, Betty, served as the Washington family seamstress and imparted needlework skills to Ona, which enabled her to escape harsh fieldwork conditions by becoming a house slave. When Washington was elected president, the family relocated to New York City, moving Ona—now Martha Washington's personal slave—her brother Austin, and five other slaves with them in 1789. After a return to Mount Vernon, the family moved again to Philadelphia, the new capital. With the abolitionist movement gaining momentum, Ona realized the Washingtons would not free her; she would have to take her freedom. In 1796, when Mrs. Washington promised Ona as a wedding gift to her granddaughter, Ona decided to escape, assisted by the Rev. Richard Allen, a free black man, and others, to New Hampshire. The narrator emphasizes just how hard the Washington family tried to force Ona to return to them, using deception whenever possible. While this story offers important historical information, it is text-heavy, with an accretion of distracting details. The naïve-style illustrations are colorful but inconsistent, particularly in their evocation of the period, which will also limit this book's appeal to children.

A worthwhile story poorly told. (author's note, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews