865 American Civil War ended. The victory in the north destroyed slavery in the southern rebellious states, and the black slaves were liberated, and I never thought I could see American slavery destroyed in heaven.Who do you ask me? I'm Ona Judge , you ask me why I'm so excited, then I'll tell you my story.
Movie " Gone with the Wind " screenshot
Everyone knows that George Washington is an outstanding general, the leader of the American War of Independence , the founding father of the United States, but he is also a slave owner at Vernon Manor, Virginia.
He and his wife Martha Washington have nearly 150 slaves . I was once one of them. It is more appropriate to serve their entire family, or to be loyal.
Movie " Being a Slave for Twelve Years " Screenshot
My mother is a dowry slave to Martha Washington, and her father is a white laborer. I have never seen him. Because of my mother's slave identity, I had no choice but to . After I was born, I became the property of Martha Washington and his family and became their slave.
My childhood was spent in Vernon Hills . As I grew older, my mother told me to protect myself. As a black female slave, I had little ability to protect myself from unexpected attacks or sexual assaults. At the same time, my pregnancy is good for the owner, and my child will become the owner's extra property like me.
Screenshot of the movie "Twelve Years of Slave"
In Mount Vernon Villa, I am deeply loved by the hostess. I am a slave in her family, responsible for taking care of the hostess' life and emotions. The originally peaceful slave life changed after the male host Washington became the first president of the United States.
To be honest, my master is a relatively kind slave owner. All slaves here will not suffer from daily whipping and insults. In addition, I am still quite satisfied with my current life. After serving my master every day, I only think about how to make the hostess happy tomorrow and thus get the master’s reward.
Movie "Gone with the Wind" screenshot
But everything changed after moving to Philadelphia .
Philadelphia is a metropolis, and life here is richer than New York and Mount Vernon. With the permission of my master, I can get short-term freedom, use the money my master rewards me to watch the drama, and buy small items I like, everything is very fresh.
Except that every six months, slaves from Mount Vernon will go back, and I don’t know what this return means. I once asked the hostess why I needed to go back, but she asked me, is it not good to go back to visit my mother? That is what a kind and kind slave owner, who I want to allow to visit my family, !
There are many free blacks in Philadelphia. At first I wondered why they could live freely in the city, but I couldn't, but I didn't dare to talk to them and ask why, because my hostess warned me not to talk to free blacks, because their hearts are so bad that they are the devils of hell, the dirty and untouchable people.
Movie "Twelve Years of Slave" screenshot
Although the owner strongly slandered them, I still envied their freedom. After watching a theater performance, I couldn't help but feel curious. I secretly talked to a free black man in the theater and learned the truth about everything.
Because Philadelphia passed the code of abolishing slavery in 1780, slaves who lived in Philadelphia for more than six months could be released.
When I heard this news, I realized why we would travel back and forth between Vernon and Philadelphia regularly, and why we could not talk to free blacks, because the master did not want to lose their property. My mother once told me to be loyal to my master's belief forever, and it was shaken at the moment when I learned the truth.
Movie "Twelve Years of Slave" screenshot
I also heard about some things about fugitives from free black people. Many fugitives enslaved their families and lived an incognito life since then. Although there are great risks, they do not regret it.
I began to think carefully about whether to leave my master. After all, they treated me well. I was a slave to the number one family in the United States, dressed well and although I was enslaved by others, I was one of the most respected people in the administrative building, but when I learned that my mistress was going to give me as a wedding gift to her granddaughter Eliza, it scared me.
I am extremely loyal to my hostess, and I thought that as long as I try my best to be loyal to my hostess, I might be different from other slaves. results prove that for hostess Martha Washington, I am just a randomly cut rag fabric on my skirt and can be discarded at will. My loyalty is meaningless.
At this moment I was determined to leave her and get freedom through the most dangerous way - escape, and the few solo activities became the best time for me to contact other black people who could help me.
"Twelve Years of Slave" movie screenshot
"I heard that several more slaves have successfully escaped recently."
The slaves were chatting and gossiping, and I did not join them because I had to strictly keep my escape plan and not reveal any of them. The excessive tension has made me feel a little sensitive recently. I need to try my best to stretch my tight brows to reduce other people's attention to me.
As the hostess' personal maid, I only have a short free time when the president treats guests. I am determined to use this short free time to escape, and I do the same.
, 1796, I escaped from the Presidential Palace and started the road of escape in the night, which is also my path to freedom.With the help of free blacks and other escaped slaves, I boarded a ship to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is strange for black women to travel alone, To cover up, I tried to curl up my ordinary dressed self in the corner, enduring the disgusting air in the closed space, and rehearsed in my mind over and over again how to contact the free black people after arriving at Portsmouth in order to settle down in Portsmouth.
Movie "Twelve Years of Slave" screenshot
Everything went smoothly. Portsmouth is more than 300 miles from Philadelphia. Although there are not many black people here, this state is gradually abolishing slavery like Philadelphia and welcomes more labor. Therefore, with the help of local free blacks, I found a job as a family servant and a laundryman.
Compared with previous jobs at the Presidential Palace, this job requires enduring heavy physical labor, soaking your fingers in the cold well water, and being forced to sleep in the cold cellar. But I don't regret it because I am no longer the property of anyone, I am the one who truly has freedom.
My former master did not give up on chasing me. He posted a reward order for arresting me in the newspapers, so I must live carefully in Portsmouth.
But I was still discovered by Miss Elizabeth Langdon on the street. At the moment of eyes meeting, I tried my best to restrain my emotions and leave quickly, but I knew I was exposed. Her father was a senator. At the banquet at the Presidential Palace, I handed her a cup of black tea. She praised my beautiful hair, which made me blush. To be honest, I like her very much, but I don’t want to meet her at this time.
screenshot of the movie "Twelve Years of Slave"
Washington President entrusted Portsmouth's customs chief Whipple to arrest me and go back. Whipple is a man who opposed slavery. He did not take compulsory measures to arrest me and go back. Instead, he negotiated with me and told me that My master believed that I was tempted by others and escaped. If I could go back, I would continue to be the personal maid of the first family.
I know this is the devil's promise, and I am very puzzled by Washington's idea. He was the leader of the American War of Independence and led the entire country to obtain independence and freedom. Will he still want to be enslaved by other colonists? Shouldn't he be the one who understands the meaning of freedom the most? Why convince me to give up my freedom?
Because George Washington is about to step down as president, he will focus most of his time on administrative oversight and be happy to be able to return to Mount Vernon, where he loves his deepest, that arresting a fugitive slave is no longer his priority, and he does not want to confront the growing anti-slavery sentiment of the people in New Hampshire and New England when he is leaving office.
I am safe.
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Although I am free now, I still have to worry that my children will be taken away because I am still a slave to Martha Washington, and the children I gave birth to will become slaves to their family, and Jack's identity as a freeman cannot be passed on to our children.
799 I learned from his people that George Washington died and released the slave I owned in my will , but it didn't mean much to me, because I was a slave to his wife and did not belong to her, and I was still enjoying life outside of parenthood, marriage and slavery in Portsmouth.Now I sit in the house I live with my children and count my past lives alone. As a black female slave, my life after escaping from the presidential palace was not as comfortable as before. After Jack went to sea, his family fell into extreme poverty. I always lived in fear of hunger, forced labor and fear of slave catcher. I did my best to raise my children, but I was still alone when I was in my fifties.
But I will never regret the decision to escape, because George Washington once said: Once rooted, it will grow rapidly like a plant.
Movie "Twelve Years of Slave" screenshot
**The content of this article is compiled and adapted from the non-fiction novel "Escape from the Presidential Palace: The Washington couple's pursuit of the female slave Ona".
-End-
Author of this article: Dong Yiran, Editor: Yanshu
View information is compiled from:
"Escape from the Presidential Palace",
(US) Erica Armstrong Dunbar written by
Li Dan Translated
Cover image: Movie "Twelve Years of Slave"
Picture source: Screenshot of film and television drama
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"Escape from the Presidential Palace:
The Washington couple's hunt for Ona"
Author: (US) Erica Armstrong Dunbar written by
Li Dan Translated by
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A book of courage and wisdom, which can be called the American version of "Anne's Diary". Ona Judge, the Washington couple’s slave girl, longs for freedom, decides to escape from the presidential palace and escape from slavery. At unimaginable danger, Ona successfully fled with the help of the free blacks in the north, but she spent her whole life avoiding pursuit... The past that happened in this "first family" in the United States is a microcosm of early American history.The unknown family secrets of the founding father of the United States will allow readers to understand the historical figure of Washington more in a three-dimensional and comprehensive manner.is addicted to playing cards, and was ridiculed by Lu Xun. How far are we from the real Hu Shi?
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