Primary Source Documents Political Cartoon District of Columbia Emancipation Civil War History Philip Reid and the Statue of Freedom Supplement to National Council for the Social Studies Publications Number 24 September 2005 www.socialstudies.org Middle Level Learning 24, pp. M2–M4 ©2005 National Council for the Social Studies Philip Reid and the Statue of Freedom Eugene Walton photo credit: Architect of the Capitol he Statue of Freedom stands at the building, were black, both slaves and free- plaster, just like icing can hide the layers very top of the dome of the Capitol, men. They did much of the backbreak- of a cake. Reid reasoned that an upward Twhere Congress meets in Washing- ing labor, such as extracting stone at the force could be applied to the statue using ton, D.C. The dome, with its statue, is a Aquia Quarry in Virginia; transport- a block and tackle. As repeated tugs on symbol recognized all over the world. ing the stone in shallow boats to Jenkins the model began to strain the plaster, This statue was designed in the mid-1850s, Hill (now Capitol Hill); cutting and hairline cracks would appear at a point as arguments between Northern and shaping the stone; and hoisting it up where the top section of the statue was Southern states reached a zenith. The the walls of the Capitol for installation. attached to the rest of the sections below. statue was raised to the top of the Capi- Enslaved blacks also made up a good Reid directed workers to carefully pull tol dome in 1863, during the Civil War. part of the skilled workforce.2 Philip Reid the ropes—and yes! a thin crack began (Handout A) worked in the foundry of his owner Clark to appear. Unfastening the top section Nestled within the history of this statue Mills. This foundry was located on Blad- from the mass below and then lifting it is a curious item: In 1859, at a crucial ensburg Road, just inside the District line. away exposed the hollow interior and the moment in its construction, a dispute Reid was more than a laborer. He was a other three points of separation. Finally, brought everything to a halt. The respon- skilled craftsman who knew how to wield five plaster sections sat separately on the sibility of resolving the crisis fell to one a huge vat of white hot metal without get- floor.3 (Handout C) person, an enslaved black man named ting burned, or transport a delicate white Philip Reid.1 plaster mold over a corduroy road without Casting a Giant breakage. Beginning in 1860, the statue was cast in Laborers and Craftsmen five main sections at the bronze foundry Historical research shows that many A Breaking Point of Clark Mills. Casting is hot and exact- of the workmen who built the city of Thomas Crawford, an American sculptor, ing work—small mistakes can cause flaws Washington, D.C., including the Capitol created the Statue of Freedom in clay in a in the final product or endanger workers studio in Rome, Italy. A plaster model was with molten metal. Reid helped with the cast in five major sections and shipped in casting, as shown by a receipt of payment crates to the United States. After various to him (for work performed on Sundays) in this issue mishaps, the crates arrived in Washington, by the federal government.4 (Handout D). D.C., in March 1859. An Italian crafts- In June of 1862, the statue was finished 2 Philip Reid and the Statue of Freedom man assembled the huge plaster model of and temporarily displayed on the east Eugene Walton Freedom for all to see while the Capitol grounds of the Capitol. The top section 14 Casting Freedom, 1860–1862 dome moved toward completion. This (head-and-shoulders) was installed atop craftsman, however, refused to reveal how the dome on December 2, 1863. 15 Restoring Freedom, 1993 to take the model apart for transport to the bronze foundry. He wanted more money Historical Evidence 16 An Abolitionist Cartoon, 1830 to finish the job. Philip Reid was called We know about Philip Reid today because upon to figure out how to disassemble of a written account of his work with the On the Cover Drawing of a slave, ca. 1830 (Library of Congress) the sculpture into its five large sections plaster model of Freedom and the pay Statue of Freedom (Architect of the Capitol) without breaking it. (Handout B) How stub for his work in Clark Mills’ bronze Architect Thomas U. Walter, “Skeleton of Tholos” did he do it? foundry on Sundays. But there is a third [detail; separations called out] (Architect of the Capitol) Capitol Dome (Architect of the Capitol) document that describes Philip Reid and Hairline Fractures tells a little about his past. It also lists the Middle Level Learning The model of the Statue of Freedom, 19 “value” of his “service and labor” as a slave. Steven S. Lapham MLL Editor Richard Palmer Art Director feet six inches in height, was made of The creation of this document involves a Michael Simpson Director of Publications delicate white plaster. Its points of sepa- brief and little-known but fascinating event ©2005 National Council for the Social Studies ration were hidden by a thin layer of in American history. 2 September 2005 Plaster model of Freedom Middle Level Learning A Jump Start on Emancipation The fact that slavery persisted in the nation’s capital even as the Library of Congress Civil War was being fought, primarily over issues related to slav- ery, was an embarrassment to many citizens on the Union side. So on April 16, 1862, Congress passed the Act of Emancipation, freeing thousands of slaves living in the District of Columbia, including Reid.5 (Handout E) The District Emancipation had several interesting provisions, including compensation to owners for their slaves set free.6 Thus, Clark Mills filed a petition for compensation from the U.S. government when his eleven slaves were freed, briefly describing each person’s skills and enumerat- ing their “dollar value.” 7 (Handouts F & G). Freedom’s Legacy On the first of the New Year, January 1, 1863, Lincoln’s Emanci- During the New York City Draft riots of 186, black residents pation Proclamation freed slaves in the Confederate states. The became scapegoats. dream of Freedom was having a new birth. Near the end of that year, on December 2, at noon, the final section of the Statue of Freedom was raised and bolted to the top of the Capitol dome, to a salute of 35 guns, one for each state at that time, including Labor those in the Confederacy. The volley was answered by guns at the twelve forts around Washington, D.C. At that moment, the nation was in a mortal struggle. The bloody Civil War would continue for one-and-a-half more years. (Hand- Disputes out H) We do not know if Philip Reid saw the ceremony on the When Philip Reid demonstrated how to disassemble the plaster Capitol grounds. By that date, he already may have established model of Freedom, many of the observers were relieved that himself as a “highly esteemed” independent craftsman in that 8 the puzzle had been solved. Now the work could go forward. area. He may well have paused in his work at noon to listen to the 9 But some of the white laborers probably resented the fact that gunshots echoing around the frosty land . It was not the sound of a a black slave could suddenly step forward and do the work of a nearby battle, although those sounds were heard on other days. It skilled craftsman. Four years later, in June 1863, riots broke out was the sound of Freedom, like the ringing of a distant bell. in New York City as whites, many of them new immigrants from Notes 1. The Statue of Freedom, www.aoc.gov/cc/art/freedom.cfm. The author has produced a Ireland, protested the military draft. These laborers saw wealthier DVD, Philip Reid and the Slaves Who Built the Capitol, (28 minutes.), $22.95 S&H from young men “buying their way out of the draft” for $300. They also E. Walton, 7 Kerwood Court, Silver Spring, MD 20904. feared the competition of Southern black workers migrating into 2. One well-known example was Benjamin Banneker, a free African American mathematician, their cities, ready to do the same work for less money. Lincoln’s who helped set the boundaries of the District of Columbia in 1791. Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, brought with it 3. S. B. Wyeth, The Rotunda and Dome of the U.S. Capitol (Washington, DC: Gibson Bros., the possibility of competition from newly freed slaves. During 1869): 194-195. This book is in the collection of the Architect of the Capitol, Washington, D.C. the New York City draft riots, which followed six months after the 4. “The United States to Philip Reid” [pay statement] is in the collection of the Architect of the Emancipation Proclamation, some white laborers attacked black Capitol, Washington, D.C. citizens that they found on the street. To President Lincoln, this 5. For information about current educational and celebratory activities on D.C. Emancipation event was evidence that the struggle for freedom would continue Day, April 16, contact Peter Hanes at [email protected]. even after the Civil War ended, and he made plans to try to 6. The National Archives and Records Administration webpage on the District Emancipation reduce post-war violence. can be found through www.archives.gov/exhibit_hall/.