III 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 135 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 8, 2009 

Received 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Directing the Architect of the Capitol to place a marker 

in Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center which 

acknowledges the role that slave labor played in the 

construction of the United States Capitol, and for other 

purposes. 

Whereas enslaved African-Americans provided labor essential 

to the construction of the United States Capitol; 

Whereas the report of the Architect of the Capitol entitled 

‘‘History of Slave Laborers in the Construction of the 

United States Capitol’’ documents the role of slave labor 

in the construction of the Capitol; 


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HCON 135 RDS 

Whereas enslaved African-Americans performed the backbreaking work of quarrying the stone which comprised 

many of the floors, walls, and columns of the Capitol; 

Whereas enslaved African-Americans also participated in 

other facets of construction of the Capitol, including carpentry, masonry, carting, rafting, roofing, plastering, 

glazing, painting, and sawing; 

Whereas the marble columns in the Old Senate Chamber and 

the sandstone walls of the East Front corridor remain as 

the lasting legacies of the enslaved African-Americans 

who worked the quarries; 

Whereas slave-quarried stones from the remnants of the 

original Capitol walls can be found in Rock Creek Park 

in the District of Columbia; 

Whereas the Statue of Freedom now atop the Capitol dome 

could not have been cast without the pivotal intervention 

of Philip Reid, an enslaved African-American foundry 

worker who deciphered the puzzle of how to separate the 

5-piece plaster model for casting when all others failed; 

Whereas the great hall of the Capitol Visitor Center was 

named Emancipation Hall to help acknowledge the work 

of the slave laborers who built the Capitol; 

Whereas no narrative on the construction of the Capitol that 

does not include the contribution of enslaved AfricanAmericans can fully and accurately reflect its history; 

Whereas recognition of the contributions of enslaved AfricanAmericans brings to all Americans an understanding of 

the continuing evolution of our representative democracy; 

and 

Whereas a marker dedicated to the enslaved African-Americans who helped to build the Capitol will reflect the 


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HCON 135 RDS 

charge of the Capitol Visitor Center to teach visitors 

about Congress and its development: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), 

3 SECTION 1. PLACEMENT OF MARKER IN CAPITOL VISITOR 

4 CENTER TO ACKNOWLEDGE ROLE OF SLAVE 

5 LABOR IN CONSTRUCTION OF CAPITOL. 

6 (a) PROCUREMENT AND PLACEMENT OF MARKER.— 

7 The Architect of the Capitol, subject to the approval of 

8 the Committee on House Administration of the House of 

9 Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Admin10 istration of the Senate, shall design, procure, and place 

11 in a prominent location in Emancipation Hall in the Cap12 itol Visitor Center a marker which acknowledges the role 

13 that slave labor played in the construction of the United 

14 States Capitol. 

15 (b) CRITERIA FOR DESIGN OF MARKER.—In devel16 oping the design for the marker required under subsection 

17 (a), the Architect of the Capitol— 

18 (1) shall take into consideration the rec19 ommendations developed by the Slave Labor Task 

20 Force Working Group; 

21 (2) shall, to the greatest extent practicable, en22 sure that the marker includes stone which was quar23 ried by slaves in the construction of the Capitol; and 


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HCON 135 RDS 

1 (3) shall ensure that the marker includes a 

2 plaque or inscription which describes the purpose of 

3 the marker. 

Passed the House of Representatives July 7, 2009. 

Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, 

Clerk. 


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