treasury_curator
African American Contributions to the Construction of the Capitol
When the first Congress met in 1800 in newly established Washington, D.C., a region carved out of land from Maryland and Virginia, approximately 4,027 African Americans resided in the area. Some 3,244 were enslaved while the remaining 783 were free. In the process of constructing the new capital, the federal government opened several service jobs to freed African Americans who made major contributions as craftsmen and laborers. For freed African Americans working in the building trade, the Treasury Building provided access to an abundance of jobs during the four decades of its construction.
African American Contributions to the Construction of the Capitol
When the first Congress met in 1800 in newly established Washington, D.C., a region carved out of land from Maryland and Virginia, approximately 4,027 African Americans resided in the area. Some 3,244 were enslaved while the remaining 783 were free. In the process of constructing the new capital, the federal government opened several service jobs to freed African Americans who made major contributions as craftsmen and laborers. For freed African Americans working in the building trade, the Treasury Building provided access to an abundance of jobs during the four decades of its construction.