The Escape of Ona Judge

The Escape of Ona Judge is a Pennsylvania historical marker in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, dedicated 2024.

6th & Market Sts., Philadelphia

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Judge (c.1773-1848) was brought to Phila. in 1790 as the enslaved house servant of First Lady Martha Washington. She escaped from the President's House on May 21, 1796, to New Hampshire with the assistance of the city's African American community. Pres-ident Washington’s attempts to recapture her were unsuccessful, as he met resistance from federal officials who would not comply with the Fugitive Slave Act. Judge lived as a free woman for the rest of her life.

TodayHistorical map

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Leiden University Libraries

Historical maps covering this location

1777 · A plan of the city and environs of Philadelphia COLLBN 011-04-044 (Leiden University Libraries)
1777 · Draft of roads in New Jersey (Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library)
1778 · The course of Delaware River from Philadelphia to Chester, exhibiting the several works… (Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library)
1779 · A plan of the city and environs of Philadelphia : with the works and encampments of His… (Historical map archives, georeferenced via Allmaps)
1795 · Delaware. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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Marker data: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission via data.pa.gov

More markers nearby

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On the National Register nearby

Rohm and Haas Corporate Headquarters300 ft

Places within about 300 feet of this marker that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A nearby listing is not always the marker's own subject.