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Jack Staines
Burwell Bassett Jr. was a Virginian senator and a nephew of Martha Washington. Martha and George sent Bassett to New Hampshire to apprehend Ona Judge Staines and return her to Mount Vernon—but Bassett’s two attempts to cajole Ona into giving up her freedom and returning to the people who enslaved her were unsuccessful.
Burwell Bassett Jr. Quotes in Never Caught
The Never Caught quotes below are all either spoken by Burwell Bassett Jr. or refer to Burwell Bassett Jr. . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 12 Quotes
Righteous indignation and a belief in her right to be free prompted her final and fierce response to Bassett, telling him, "I am free now and choose to remain so."
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Burwell Bassett Jr. Character Timeline in Never Caught
The timeline below shows where the character Burwell Bassett Jr. appears in Never Caught. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 12
...to resume his attempts to recapture his “runaway property.” He recruits Martha Washington’s nephew Burwell Bassett Jr., a Virginian senator, to take up the search again. Washington still believes that a...
(full context)
One day, Ona opens the door to find Bassett standing before her—she recognizes him, knowing members of Martha and George’s family well after her...
(full context)
Bassett returns to Langdon’s house and informs the senator he will not leave New Hampshire without...
(full context)
Bassett returns to Virginia in October of 1799 and delivers the news of his failure to...
(full context)
Chapter 13
...Jacks—the landowning free Black family who took Ona and Eliza in back in 1799 after Bassett’s visit—Ona finds refuge in a difficult time. The Jacks are also mourning the passing of...
(full context)
