On the evening of May 21, 1796, Ona Judge took a monumental risk to secure her freedom. She slipped out of the President’s House in Philadelphia undetected while the first family dined, beginning a journey toward a life of liberty in New Hampshire. Today, Judge’s legacy is at the center of a modern legal and political struggle over how the United States remembers its history of enslavement.
- The Escape: Ona Judge fled her enslavement by George Washington on May 21, 1796, to avoid being transferred to Martha Washington’s granddaughter as a wedding gift.
- The Exhibit: The “Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation” exhibit at Independence National Historic Park was dismantled in January 2026 following a 2025 executive order.
- The Legal Victory: U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe ordered the restoration of the exhibit, criticizing attempts to “dissemble and disassemble historical truths.”
- Commemoration: The city of Philadelphia now honors May 21 as “Ona Judge Day.”
The Daring Escape of Ona Judge
Ona Judge served as a chambermaid in the first executive mansion, located at the intersection of 6th and Market streets in Philadelphia. Her role involved grueling daily labor, including scrubbing floors, emptying chamber pots and maintaining fires, alongside tending to the personal needs of Martha Washington.
Living in Philadelphia provided Judge with a perspective on freedom that was unavailable in Virginia. Historians estimate that between 5% and 9% of the city’s population were free Black people at the time, and Judge developed friendships with several of them who assisted in her escape.
The Catalyst for Flight
The decision to flee was sparked by the Washingtons’ plans to return to Mount Vernon, Virginia. Martha Washington intended to bequeath Ona Judge to her granddaughter, Elizabeth Parke Custis, as a wedding gift. Recognizing that a return to Virginia would mean the permanent loss of any hope for liberty, Judge coordinated with friends in Philadelphia to move her belongings before slipping away during a family dinner.
“Whilst they were packing up to go to Virginia, I was packing to go, I didn’t know where; for I knew that if I went back to Virginia, I should never get my liberty.”
— Ona Judge, in an interview with Rev. Benjamin Chase for The Liberator
The Erasure of a National Memorial
For over a decade, the story of Ona Judge and others enslaved by the Washingtons was memorialized through the “Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation” exhibit. Opened in December 2010, it was the first slavery memorial on federal land in U.S. History. The installation featured 34 explanatory panels and footprints embedded in the pathway to mark the spot where Judge began her journey to freedom.
This history was abruptly suppressed in late January 2026. The National Park Service dismantled the exhibit following a March 2025 executive order issued by President Donald Trump, which sought to eliminate materials deemed disparaging to the legacy of the United States or the Founding Fathers.
The Legal Battle for Historical Truth
The removal of the exhibit triggered immediate backlash and a swift legal response from city leadership. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker asserted that a 2006 cooperative agreement between the city and the federal government required consultation before any changes were made to the exhibit.
The city of Philadelphia subsequently filed a lawsuit against Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and National Park Service acting Director Jessica Bowron, with the state of Pennsylvania filing an amicus brief in support of the city.
The Court’s Ruling
U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe ultimately ordered the government to reinstall all previously placed panels, displays, and video exhibits. In her ruling, Judge Rufe referenced George Orwell’s 1984 to chide the federal government’s efforts to “dissemble and disassemble historical truths.”
A Broader Pattern of Historical Revisionism
Advocates argue that the dismantling of the Philadelphia exhibit is part of a wider national trend to limit discussions of race and racism in public institutions. This pattern includes:
- The restoration of two Confederate monuments of Albert Pike in Washington and Arlington National Cemetery.
- Executive orders signed during the first week of the second Trump term to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
- Efforts to counterbalance the 1619 Project, including the creation of the 1776 Commission to discredit its conclusions.
Honoring a Legacy: Ona Judge Day
As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the fight over whose history is told remains intense. To ensure that Ona Judge’s courage is not erased, the city of Philadelphia has designated May 21 as “Ona Judge Day.”
The Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, a Philadelphia-based organization, has scheduled a celebration on May 21, 2026, at Independence Hall to honor Judge’s escape and the ongoing struggle for historical transparency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Ona Judge?
Ona Judge was an enslaved woman owned by George and Martha Washington who escaped her enslavement in Philadelphia on May 21, 1796.
Why was the “Freedom and Slavery” exhibit removed?
The exhibit was dismantled in January 2026 following a March 2025 executive order aimed at removing materials viewed as disparaging to the Founding Fathers.
What was the outcome of the lawsuit against the National Park Service?
U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe ruled that the government must reinstall the panels and exhibits, preventing the “whitewashing” of historical truths.
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