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  • 2021-06-24 (xsd:date)
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  • Did Slaves Help Build the U.S. Capitol? (en)
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  • The U.S. Capitol’s iconic dome building has long served as the seat of the legislative branch of the U.S. government. Its construction began in 1793, and since then it has been burnt, rebuilt, and extended. But it was only a few decades ago that the contribution of enslaved Black people in the building’s construction was acknowledged. In 2005, Congress put together a task force to investigate the role slaves played in constructing many major monuments in Washington, D.C. They acknowledged that Black slaves were intricately involved in the work, in addition to freed men, and other laborers. The White House Historical Association described how the government gathered labor for the construction of the capital city of Washington, D.C.: Additionally, the architect of the Capitol's official website notes a special plaque was placed above a sandstone marker that was unveiled in the section of the building named Emancipation Hall in February 2012, to commemorate the contributions of slaves. The plaque reads: The architect's website also notes that due to the scarcity of documentation, the entire role of slave labor in the construction of the building could not be determined. According to the architect of the Capitol, a slave, Philip Reid, made a significant contribution in the Capitol’s construction. Without any formal training, along with other workers, he produced the first bronze statue ever cast in America. The Statue of Freedom sits atop the Capitol’s dome. According to the architect’s website: Reid’s original pay voucher is available online for visitors to see. We also previously fact-checked the role of slavery in the construction of the White House. Given the overwhelming historical evidence on the role slaves played in constructing the Capitol, we rate this claim as True. (en)
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