We know today that slavery is wrong. At the time of George Washington, however, it was a way of life, and in the south, it wasn’t much thought of. Slaves were common and there was no one to stand up for their rights or to make the plantation owners accountable for what they were doing. So when I say that George Washington owned slaves, I don’t say that to indicate that he was a bad person – he was simply doing what was done and common in that time.
“Taking Liberty” by Ann Rinaldi is the story of Oney Judge, a girl who grew up at Mount Vernon. Her mother was a slave, skilled in the use of a needle. Her father was white, a convicted criminal who needed a place to be after his release from jail, who willingly took on the life of a slave to give him a sense of belonging. He left to join the army during the Revolutionary War, however, leaving Oney and her mother alone on the plantation.
From the time she was three, Oney knew she would someday be a house slave. That was a distinction that many of the slaves sought after. But you had to be half white to work in the house, you had to be respectful, and you had to be very skilled and efficient. Oney’s mother taught her how to sew, and it wasn’t long before Oney was Mrs. Washington’s little pet, brought in to join the sewing circle.
Once in a while, a slave would escape, and become one of the Gone, as the other slaves called them. But Oney couldn’t understand why they would ever want to leave. She had enough to eat, she was well thought of in the house, and Mount Vernon was her home. The Washingtons were good to her, and to all their slaves – beatings were rare, the food was plentiful, and compared to other slaves, they had it good. Why leave?
One day, Oney overhears Mr. Washington say that upon his death, all his slaves will go free. That settles things for Oney. She can wait – there’s no need to risk running off. But some time later, she discovers the awful truth – she doesn’t belong to Mr. Washington. She belongs to Mrs. Washington, and will not be freed. In fact, Mrs. Washington plans to give her to the oldest daughter as a wedding present.
Oney’s decision made for her, she decides to run, and becomes one of history’s most famous runaway slaves.
(This book was published in 2002 by Simon and Schuster.)
Previously reviewed books by this author: