Certainly, he is a powerful and important figure. As a novelist of African American History, and one who has written the story of Ona Judge, my concern and focus isn’t the first President and his reputation. This question seems to restate the prior two with slight variation, shifting the focus from this incredible young woman to George Washington. Does this lessen the burden on his reputation, in contrast to Thomas Jefferson? he would personally strike slaves), but during and after the War of Independence, there seems to be a change, and he does free those slaves he owned on his death. Without question, it happened.įor the first part of his life, Washington appears to have been comfortable with his own slave-holding (e.g. The enforced bondage of persons at Mount Vernon shouldn’t be overlooked, denied, or dismissed. I can acknowledge his accomplishments without turning a blind eye to the fact that he was master of a plantation on which persons of African descent were held in captivity. Many may or may not be aware that he enslaved human beings. He will always be venerated as the great General who became the nation’s first elected leader. How do you think his ownership of slaves affects his reputation? George Washington had many great achievements to his name, not least defeating the British, first President. That doesn’t erase the fact that he owned humans. Was Washington morally conflicted over the issue of slavery? Perhaps. The latter was prepared to use physical force if necessary, but Ona was alerted to his intent and managed to evade Bassett. The former attempted to reason with Ona, to persuade her to return to slavery and failed. He enlisted the aid of other individuals, Joseph Whipple (a customs collector) and Burwell Bassett (nephew of Mrs. But twice! He did so quietly so as not to incite public scorn, particularly from the Abolitionist movement. Does that betray his awareness of the serious moral questions over slavery?Īctually, Washington did pursue Ona. But George Washington left his pursuit at that, and did not go down a legal route. Her escape caused advertisements to be run in Philadelphia newspapers, advertisements that are very strange to read now. Ona was only twenty-two at the time of her escape from the household of the most powerful persons in the United States. What kind of character do you think she was? She had no means by which to purchase her freedom. She refused to be the property of this woman who often treated her despicably. When Ona learned that she was to be “gifted” to Eliza Custis upon her marriage, Ona determined within herself not to allow that to happen. Ona was often plagued by the Washingtons’ oldest granddaughter, Eliza Custis, who was mercurial in temperament. Perhaps, a better question is why would she remain enslaved? Slavery was a heinous institution built upon the backs and bodies of persons treated as and deemed to be subhuman. She was an extraordinary person, and was interviewed later on in her life, but why did she run away as a young woman? I was fascinated by her story, her courage, and decision to take her own life into her young hands despite the perils of freedom’s voyage. That said, I’d heard of Ona Judge after college, but it was a more recent conversation that brought her fully to my attention…and my writer’s imagination. Or as if it was an afterthought and concession. In fact, I didn’t have a Black History class until my senior year in high school, and it was only taught the first semester! As if there wasn’t enough content for a full year. One thing that propelled me in this direction was because African American History wasn’t part of the standard curriculum when I was growing up. I’ve a passion for African American History, so much so that my undergraduate degree is in Black Studies. It’s based on the experience of Ona Judge, enslaved to the Washington family. Suzette D Harrison, many congratulations on your new novel, My Name Is Ona Judge.
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