Congress continued its efforts to recognize the government’s role in African-American slavery as the House of Representatives passed a resolution Tuesday that acknowledges the use of slave labor in the construction of the U.S. Capitol.

 

The concurrent resolution sponsored by Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., passed on a 399 to 1 vote. Rep. Steve King, a Republican from Iowa, cast the lone no vote. The marker’s fate now rests with the Senate, where lawmakers will consider a similar measure to Lewis’ that’s sponsored by Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark. 


Lewis, a civil rights icon, said the time for honoring those who involuntarily toiled in building the Capitol building and the White House was long overdue. 


“Mr. Speaker, for too long the (story of the) use of slave labor in the construction of the United States Capitol has gone untold,” Lewis said on the House floor prior to the vote. “We look back today, not to open old wounds, but to ensure that we tell the story of those slaves, so their toils are never forgotten. Slavery is part of our nation’s history of which we are not proud. However, we should not run or hide from it.” 


Lewis’ resolution directs the Architect of the Capitol to place a marker, made from original sandstone quarried by the slaves for the Capitol’s construction, in a highly visible place in the $621 Million Capitol Visitor’s Center’s Emancipation Hall. The stones were removed from the building during renovation and have been kept in storage. 


“This physical and permanent marker will pay tribute to the blood, sweat, and toils of the African-American slaves who helped build this magnificent building and ensure that their story is told, and never forgotten,” Lewis said. 


Male slaves worked as carpenters, masons, rafters, roofers, plasterers, and glazers in the building’s construction. Slave women and children were used to mold clay in kilns. 


They were rented to government by slave owners in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, who were paid $5 per month by the Treasury Department. The slaves, who received none of the money, often endured 12-hour days, six days a week and toiled in Washington’s stifling summer heat and humidity. 


Jesse Holland, author of “Black Men Built the Capitol: Discovering African-American History in and Around Washington, D.C.” said that according to pay stubs between 400 and 600 slaves were involved in the Capitol’s construction. 


Holland called the House vote a watershed moment. 


“It’s significant for Congress to tell the story of African-American slaves’ role in building the building in which they work,” Holland said. 


Passage of Lewis’ resolution was hailed by the Congressional Black Caucus Tuesday night. 


“It is fitting that the history of Capitol’s construction be accurately told to include recognition of the African-American slaves who struggled to erect this massive building brick by brick, stone by stone,” said CBC Chair Barbara Lee, D-Calif. “By properly recognizing the contributions of those slaves who built the Capitol, we bring all Americans closer to an understanding of the continuing evolution of our democracy.”

 

Tuesday’s vote was the latest attempt by lawmakers to recognize the U.S. government’s hand in the bondage and discrimination of its African-American citizens. The Senate unanimously approved a resolution last month directing the government to formally apologize to African-Americans for centuries of slavery and Jim Crow segregation. 


But the resolution has stalled in the House largely because several Black Caucus members voiced objections to a disclaimer in the measure that they believe would restrict slave descendants from seeking reparations from the U.S. government. 


House and Senate leadership are trying to find a way to satisfy Black Caucus members, who .....

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