The history of Mount Vernon, like many plantations in the American South, is built on the forced labor and broken lives of enslaved individuals. Among these individuals were Betty, her son Austin, and her daughter Ona Judge - a family whose story reveals the profound cruelty of slavery and the thirst for freedom that endured despite unimaginable hardship.
Betty: A Mother Robbed
Betty lived and worked as an enslaved woman at Mount Vernon. Her life was marked by the relentless pain of family separation, a constant weapon wielded by the institution of slavery. When Martha Washington married George Washington, Betty became part of her "dower" property. Shortly afterward, the Washingtons' move to Philadelphia for George's presidency tore two of Betty's children, Austin and Ona, away from her.
Betty's grief is unimaginable – a mother forcibly separated from her teenage daughter and young son, left to wonder about their fate in a strange city and to bear the agonizing knowledge that they might never be reunited.
Austin: A Childhood Stolen
Austin, approximately 12 years old at the time, was taken to work in the Washingtons' Philadelphia household. He was forced to leave his mother and likely any other family he knew. Historical records tell us little about his specific duties, but young enslaved boys were often made personal servants or waiters, their childhoods stolen for the comfort of their owners. We don't know if Austin ever saw his mother again.
Ona Judge: Escape to Freedom
History remembers Ona Judge as a beacon of courage because she defied the system designed to confine her. While in Philadelphia, she learned of Pennsylvania's gradual abolition laws and, with the help of the free Black community, escaped to New Hampshire. The Washingtons relentlessly pursued her return, but Ona bravely resisted and lived the remainder of her life as a free woman.
A Legacy of Pain and Resilience
The story of Betty, Austin, and Ona is not a singular one. Countless enslaved families were torn apart, their love and kinship violently disregarded by an inhumane system. Yet, even within such profound suffering, there were acts of defiance and an unyielding yearning for freedom.
Betty's endurance in the face of separation, Austin's stolen youth, and Ona's brave escape are reminders of both the horrors of slavery and the strength of the human spirit. Their stories, although incomplete, demand to be told and remembered.
Resources for Learning More
- Mount Vernon: https://www.mountvernon.org/
- "Never Caught" (Erica Armstrong Dunbar): A book about Ona Judge's life: [invalid URL removed]
- National Museum of African American History and Culture: https://nmaahc.si.edu/
Remembering Their Names
By learning about the lives of people like Betty, Austin, and Ona, we honor their struggles and defy the historical tendency to ignore or erase the experiences of enslaved individuals. We acknowledge the profound cost of slavery – not only in economic or political terms, but in stolen lives, shattered families, and the endless battle for the most basic of human rights.