Enslaved Labor and the Capitol Building

Enslaved people contributed significantly to the construction of the Capitol Building. When construction commenced in 1793, the bulk of the work was undertaken by enslaved laborers who were cheaper than free labor. Enslaved labor was abundant as renting enslaved people to the federal government was very profitable for the slaveholders. Enslaved workers were involved in various elements of the Capitol’s construction, from bricklaying, iron working to saw cutting. They also made a substantial contribution to the carpentry of the building, including the framing of the roof and the installation of its covering. From 1795 to 1801, there were 385 individual payments made to compensate for “Negro hire” at the construction of the Capitol. While the laborers themselves typically earned pennies for a day’s work, their owners received five dollars a week from the work of their enslaved men. Enslaved labor was essential to the federal government’s goal that the new capital would be prepared to receive Congress upon its move from Philadelphia to Washington in 1800.

In 2012, Congress unveiled a small marker in the Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Building to remember the contributions made by enslaved African Americans in its construction. However, the fact that enslaved workers helped build the United States parliament remains unacknowledged in the public space around the building and thus invisible to the vast majority of visitors to the National Mall.

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Capitol