U.S. Capitol Built By Slaves - VOA Story

February is National Black History Month in the United States - an annual celebration that promotes and highlights the positive accomplishments made by people of African descent. Now, there is a traveling exhibit that uncovers the role African Americans played in helping build the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.

The U.S. Capitol is one of the most recognizable man-made landmarks in the country. With its stately white dome, the building serves as an international symbol of the country's representative democracy. But until recently little was known about the people who actually built the massive structure. Now a traveling exhibit entitled "From Freedom's Shadow" reveals that most of the Capitol was built by black slaves from the late 1700s through 1863.

Felicia Bell, with the Capitol Historical Society, is the exhibit's curator. She says, at the time, large numbers of slaves were used to construct many government buildings throughout the United States. "The fact that they (slaves) were skilled and already actively hired out to build other significant structures even prior to the Capitol shows us that the enslaved people were instrumental in the early establishment of the United States and of these urban centers."

The exhibition chronicles the methods used to recruit slaves for building the Capitol. Old records show construction contractors used a practice known as "Hiring Out", which involved white slave owners getting paid for allowing their slaves to be used as temporary laborers. The slaves themselves were only paid if they worked nights, Sundays and holidays.

"The documents indicate these owners seeking payment for their laborers hired out. Sometimes it was one laborer, sometimes it was several. The typical rate of pay was $5 per month per enslaved person, which was a pretty good rate of pay for the time period."

The African-American slaves worked alongside white laborers cutting timber, hauling stone and other types of construction work. Ironically, even the famous six-meter high Statue of Freedom, which was placed atop the Capitol dome during the Civil War, was cast in bronze by a slave, Philip Reid.

Curator Bell says an eyewitness account of the work environment was recorded by a Polish traveler who visited the Capitol construction site. "He talked about how the white laborers were drinking alcohol most of the day and it was the enslaved laborers who were doing the work and how he was appalled when he found out that these enslaved men were not being paid, that their owners were being paid for hiring them out."

The traveling exhibition has been displayed at many schools across the country. At Howard University in Washington students, such as Nieon Crawford, are fascinated about the Capitol's history and the role blacks played in building the historic landmark. Crawford says, "It is finally great to see people bring this information forward so more people can learn about it. I definitely learned a great deal today by looking at the exhibit: who participated and how they participated. We never really knew what contributions were made in the past."

Ms. Bell says the Capitol's history should not be glossed over because of the painful memories of slavery. She says the exhibit is important because it helps people understand the significant role African-Americans had -- not just in building the Capitol - but in building the nation.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Slave
• Capital
• Washington
• Construction
• Freedom

[michielholland]

Ironically, the WHITE HOUSE is built by black people.

[dbadmus]

And white folks complain about black people sitting on their ass.

[guyNbluejeans]

You'll never get an argument from me that slaves got a raw deal (although who knows for sure?, maybe they sewed some bad karma...), and I've no quarrel with not forgetting it. However, I do have a problem with the whole 'the glass is half-full' point of view that's stomped down everyone's throats. I mean is it really so wrong to point out how absolutely blessed today's blacks are for lucking-out and getting to live with the advanced Caucasian race? Just look at all the blacks with TVs, Cars,...!

[Ryooken]

@sunmoonstargood I agree.

[sunmoonstargood]

@Ryooken, I agree with u about the fundenmental differences between slavery under European colonialism & slavery elsewhere. The underlay atitudes r very different, European colonialism is Not Only money, but also about power, racial supremacy, it discriminates about something Before one's birth, not After one's birth, therefore black r slaves for life. While slavery in other part of world is more a type of job, although it's the lowest job; ppl can hv the option & opportunity to get out of it.

[Ryooken]

@Metalhead15712 I am sorry but you are wrong. The reason why people talk about how racist white people are isn't just about slavery but about the laws that white people put in place to keep black people from having equal rights in this country. While white people enslaved their criminals and used forms of endentured servatude as a means of paying debts, blacks were enslaved for life, their children where slaves etc. So even in slavery there wasn't equality.

[Metalhead15712]

@Ryooken Because blacks keep on saying that white people were the only one who enslaved blacks. As far as europe goes its true, its logical because they always focus on whites having black slaves instead of whites having white slaves because they always want to say how racist white poeple are ( you can thank the ACLU and jesse jackson for that). And its not a lie check your history.

[Ryooken]

@Metalhead15712 What you don't realize is that is the biggest lie ever told. Slavery in Africa was actually serfdom. Slaves in Africa could own property and be citizens. What's also not told is that in Africa you had different kingdoms and like in Europe the had wars and rivalries. You didn't hear anyone saying when Spainish sold the French into slavery or vice versa that Europeans sold themselves into slavery. You do hear that about Africans. Why is that?

[Metalhead15712]

What most people don't realize is:

Most of the slaves brought to the US were already slaves. They were enslaved by other African tribes and in fact it still goes on in Africa. True some were kidnapped, but IN GENERAL its not like the whites just went to Africa and rounded everyone up like cattle. They were just slaves resold.

[IIDivineShadowII]

@looneytune3562 There is no changing the fact that whites were the slave owners instead of the slaves i would guess atleast 80% of the time. The European settlers were like satan's minions, they went whereever they wanted, took over and killed any1 in their way. Just cuz u might be white doesnt mean u gotta try to defend people from hundreds of years ago, it was a different time.

[IIDivineShadowII]

The human race really does have a sad past. If i lived in the times of slavery i woulda been fighting for the slaves all my life. It is despicable how slavery could go on for so long and still isnt over today.