This is a book that teaches us about the notion of multiple perspective. The reader starts to see the perspectives left out of the traditional American narrative, generating more lenses with which to see the development of the country, and forcing us to ask why Ona Judge’s story was buried until now. As I mentioned, the authors share traditional elements of American history, but Ona Judge’s life is the main story. How exciting to come face-to-face with the actual words of Ona Judge.ĭunbar and Van Cleeve go deeper into the nature of historical thinking. The article is based on an actual interview with Ona. At the end of the book they present a newspaper article from a New Hampshire newspaper. The authors share the actual words and writing of George, Martha, and others and take us deeper into their thoughts. We are told about letters as a source for understanding George’s feelings at particular moments. They help us understand the foundations of historical thinking, reminding the reader that historians use primary documents to construct their presentation. Jack Staines dies in 1803 and Ona struggles, living a life of hard work and poverty, but a life of freedom.ĭunbar and Van Cleve show great respect for their readers, sharing some sophisticated ideas. The reader learns much of Ona’s private life. The story becomes energized as Dunbar and Van Cleve describe Ona’s escape from Philadelphia on a ship and her subsequent fight to stay free in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We get to know Richard Allen, a man who had been enslaved and then went on to be one of Philadelphia’s prominent abolitionists. When the capitol moves to Philadelphia, Ona moves to the City of Brotherly Love to be with the Washingtons during George’s presidency and we are provided a glimpse into the free Black community of Philadelphia. In this part of the book, we also come to know Ona Judge better and understand her experiencing of the journey. The authors share Martha’s concerns and a sense of what the journey must have been like for her. When George becomes president, Martha must journey to New York City, America’s first capitol. This angle is just one of several factors that makes this book so important. Dunbar and Van Cleve do a wonderful job of helping us experience American history from the vantage point of enslaved people, adding a new and long missing way to view and critique American history. Dunbar and Van Cleve never keep us far from the parallel narrative of Ona Judge, giving the reader insight into the lives of enslaved people. As readers learn about Ona, they also re-study events from the country’s early history, events such as the American Revolution, the nation under the Articles of Confederation, and the writing of the Constitution. The reader first meets Ona Judge serving Martha Washington. Never Caught is the tale of Ona Judge’s escape from George and Martha Washington. The full title conveys a beautiful synopsis of the book. I have not yet read the original version written for an adult audience. This entry is a discussion of the adapted version. Never Caught: The Story of Ona Judge, George and Martha Washington’s Courageous Slave who Dared to Run Away is adapted for younger readers from Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar. Never Caught: The Story of Ona Judge, George and Martha Washington’s Courageous Slave who Dared to Run Away (Young Reader’s Edition) By Erica Armstrong Dunbar & Kathleen Van Cleve
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