H. Con. Res. 99 
Agreed to February 15, 2012
One Hundred Twelfth Congress 
of the 
United States of America 
AT THE SECOND SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, 
the third day of January, two thousand and twelve 
Concurrent Resolution 
Whereas enslaved African-Americans provided labor essential to 
the construction of the United States Capitol; 
Whereas in 2005 Congress created the Slave Labor Task Force 
to study the role that enslaved African-Americans played in the 
construction of the Capitol and to make recommendations to 
Congress on how to commemorate their contribution; 
Whereas the report of the Architect of the Capitol entitled ‘‘History 
of Slave Laborers in the Construction of the United States Cap-
itol’’ documents the role of slave labor in the construction of 
the Capitol; 
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 deci-
phered 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 African-Americans can 
fully and accurately reflect its history; 
Whereas recognition of the contributions of enslaved African-Ameri-
cans brings to all Americans an understanding of the continuing 
evolution of our representative democracy;
H. Con. Res. 99—2 
Whereas in 2007 the Slave Labor Task Force recommended to 
Congress the creation of a marker commemorating the contribu-
tions of enslaved African-Americans in the construction of the 
Capitol; and 
Whereas the marker dedicated to the enslaved African-Americans 
who helped to build the Capitol reflects the charge of the Capitol 
Visitor Center to teach visitors about Congress and its develop-
ment: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concur-
ring), 
SECTION 1. USE OF EMANCIPATION HALL FOR CEREMONY TO UNVEIL 
MARKER DEDICATED TO ENSLAVED AFRICAN-AMERI-
CANS WHO HELPED BUILD THE CAPITOL. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor 
Center is authorized to be used on February 28, 2012, for a cere-
mony to unveil the marker which acknowledges the role that slave 
labor played in the construction of the United States Capitol. 
(b) PREPARATIONS.—Physical preparations for the conduct of 
the ceremony described in subsection (a) shall be carried out in 
accordance with such conditions as may be prescribed by the 
Architect of the Capitol. 
Attest: 
Clerk of the House of Representatives. 
Attest: 
Secretary of the Senate.