Free; ages 9-12

One of this year’s finalists for the annual Children’s History Book Prize, Never Caught, the Story of Ona Judge, by Erica Armstrong Dunbar and Kathleen Van Cleve, tells the real-life story of a woman enslaved by President George Washington and his wife Martha, who escaped to freedom when she was 22. Join us on Zoom to chat with Dr. Dunbar, discuss the book with fellow history buffs, and discover related primary sources from the New-York Historical collections. 

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Get ready for the book club with these extra activities:

READ
Check out our History Detectives interview with authors Erica Armstrong Dunbar and Kathleen Van Cleve.

Never Caught is a young readers edition of a non-fiction history book published by Erica Armstrong Dunbar. Read her interview with the New York Times to learn more about some of the sources she used to research the book.   

Discover the story of Deborah Squash, one of the hundreds of enslaved people owned by the Washingtons. Like Ona Judge, she also freed herself from bondage during the Revolutionary War. (Squash’s escape is mentioned on page 26.) 

WATCH 
Watch interpretations of Ona Judge’s life as portrayed by historical interpreters at Mount Vernon and Colonial Williamsburg. 

LISTEN
On page 33, Dunbar quotes smash-hit musical Hamilton to describe one of the major obstacles facing the founding fathers after the American Revolution: How to deal with establishing national currency and individual state debt? Listen to Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson duke it out in Cabinet Battle #1. Can you pick out the quote? Listen carefully! 

JOIN
Travel back in time to the mid-18th century and meet us at the Three Tun Tavern for our virtual Living History program, Talking at the Tavern on May 27 from 1-2pm. Register here. 

http://www.slaveryinnewyork.orgVisit our virtual exhibition, Slavery in New York, to learn more about the experiences of free and enslaved blacks living in New York City during Ona Judge’s life. 

Take a virtual tour of Mount Vernon, including the Quarters (or House for Families) where Ona Judge was raised (described on page 18). Continue the virtual discovery and explore artifacts found in archaeological digs on the property.

CREATE
Make your own 18th-century outfit! No sewing required. Download the instructions.