Congress to Study Slaves Role in Capitol

[Kire]

Congress to Study Slaves Role in Capitol

By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer Tue May 31, 4:01 PM ET

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Capitol was built with the labor of slaves who cut the logs, laid the stones and baked the bricks. Two centuries later, Congress has decided the world should know about this.

Congressional leaders on Tuesday announced the creation of a task force to study the history of slave labor in the construction of the Capitol and suggest how it can best be commemorated.

"It is our hope that the work of the task force will shed light on this part of our history, the building of our nation's greatest symbol of democracy," House Speaker Dennis Hastert, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and Democratic leaders Rep. Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) and Sen. Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record) said in a joint statement.

Historians say slaves were the largest labor pool when Congress in 1790 decided to create a new national capital along the Potomac surrounded by the two slave-owning states of Maryland and Virginia.

<snip>

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (news, bio, voting record), D-Ark., a task force member, said lawmakers became aware of the use of slaves after researchers in the late 1990s found documents of Treasury Department payments to slave owners. She said there apparently were more than 400 slaves hired out.

More: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050531/ap_on_go_co/capitol_slaves

[lenidog]

1. Didn't the world already know this?

I remember reading about this 20 years ago.

[Benhurst]

2. Who did they think built it? Leprechauns? Jeez!

[Kire]

5. but you can't have museums it unless you have something to show

n/t

[Historic NY]

3. Hello Congress.....does it really matter some 200+ yrs later....

one could reasonable infer that yes they were employed in the initial labor & construction in addition to other laborers too. The fact that slaves were hired out then doesn't change things now. In that time it was legal to do so, even if we find it offensive today.

I'd suggest Congress devote more time to the present than the past, leave that to the historians.

[FreedomAngel82]

4. Uhm why

don't they worry about Bush and his illegal crimes to maybe have a government one day?

[Kire]

6. so I guess you want to prohibit congress from renaming post offices too

heathen

Edit: I knew I should have posted this in the meeting room. GD is nothing but a bunch of jackyls.

[Cleita]

7. Maybe they want to reinstate the practice?

Otherwise, why? :shrug: