Black Men Built the Capitol: Discovering African-American History In and Around Washington, D.C.

by Jesse J. Holland

Millions of people visit the National Mall, the White House, and the U.S.Capitol each year. If they only hear the standard story, a big question “Where’s the black history?”Packed with new information and archival photos, Black Men Built the Capitol answers this question. In this thoroughly researched yet completely accessible volume, Washington insider and political journalist Jesse J. Holland shines a light on the region’s African-American achievements, recounting little-known stories and verifying rumors, such •   Enslaved black men built the Capitol, White House, and other important Washington structures.•   Philip Reid, a thirty-nine-year-old slave from South Carolina, cast and helped save the model of the Statue of Freedom that sits atop the Capitol Dome.•   The National Mall sits on the former site of the city’s most bustling slave market.•   The grounds that are now Arlington National Cemetery were, from 1863 to1888, a self-sustaining village for former slaves called the Freedman’s Village. Included are hundreds of places in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia that illuminate “the rest of the story” for Washington residents and visitors alike.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, African American, American History

219 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2007

Reviews

[Book Shark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Men Built the Capitol: Discovering African-American History In and Around Washington by Jesse J. Holland

"Black Men Built the Capitol" is a wonderful history guide of the Nation's Capital and regional landmarks with a focus on African-American achievements. Journalist, consultant and author, Jesse J. Holland provides the public with never-before-told stories about the important roles blacks played in building many of the historic landmarks along the Mall and the metropolitan region in general. This insightful 216-page book includes the following seven chapters: 1. The Unites States Capitol, 2. The National Mall, 3. The White House, 4. Discovering Black History in the Rest of Washington, D. C., 5. Discovering Black History in Maryland, 6. Discovering Black History In Virginia, and 7. On the Verge of a True Black Renaissance.

Positives:
1. Well researched, accessible book for all to enjoy. Holland is engaging and respectful of the history.
2. A fascinating topic on an underreported story. "The history you've learned here from everyone else is not incorrect; it's just incomplete if you don't include us."
3. Holland is an excellent tour guide and has great command of the topic. The book reads like a tour guide with a focus on African American achievements.
4. Solid format. Holland organizes the book as a tour guide. The book includes many pictures of landmarks that complement the narrative.
5. Many interesting stories and facts included throughout the book. "If not for the ingenuity of Philip Reid, a slave of mixed blood, the story of the Freedom statue would end with the plaster model arriving in America and sitting on the grounds of the Capitol."
6. Fascinating history! "Since July 1, 1852, thirty-two people have been honored by having their remains presented to the public in the Rotunda, including eleven presidents. That list includes only one woman, an African-American woman: Rosa Parks."
7. Many African-American first included. "The most prominent depiction of an African American is a portrait of Senator Blanche K. Bruce of Mississippi, the first African American to serve a full term in the U.S. Senate."
8. Lists the six ceiling murals that depict African Americans in the First Floor House Corridors.
9. A topical reference of interest. Solomon Northrup's firsthand experience of the Yellow House described in "Twelve Years a Slave".
10. Stories of interest regarding racism. The story of Marian Anderson.
11. Highlights achievements of science. "Born in Ottuma, Iowa, Archibald `Archie' Alexander was the first African American to earn an engineering degree from the University of Iowa. He was awarded the degree in 1912."
12. Historical connections to national landmarks. "The building where the most powerful man in the world sleeps today has had black connections since before it was built. While Washington's slaves were the first black participants in the presidency, blacks were also deeply involved in the construction of the White House as we know it today."
13. Important court rulings. "Despite its early nomadic existence, the Supreme Court's effect on African Americans cannot be underestimated. Since 1857, when an all-white court ruled in Dred Scott v. Sanford that African Americans were not entitled to the same rights as white citizens, African Americans have worked through the Court to demand the rights of full citizenship."
14. The story of the first African-American lawyer. "Dr. John Sweat Rock's position as the first African-American lawyer admitted to the Supreme Court bar opened other doors for him. Credited with coining the phrase `Black is beautiful,' Rock was also one of the first African Americans to be invited to the House of Representatives and received on the House floor."
15. Significant war contributions. "They also participated in the battle of Wilson's Wharf, which was likely the only battle in the Civil War that was fought by all-black Union troops. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, the nephew of Robert E. Lee, led about three thousand men in an attack on the Union supply depot at Wilson's Wharf, which sits on the James River in eastern Charles City, Virginia. Lee's troops were defeated by about 1,800 members of the United States Colored Troops, including the First Regiment, under the command of Brig. Gen. Edward Wild."
16. Covers black history in Maryland and Virginia. "The same goes for Maryland, the birthplace of such famous African Americans as abolitionist Frederick Douglass; freedom fighter Harriet Tubman; Josiah Henson, of Uncle Tom's Cabin fame; Arctic explorer Matthew Henson; scientist Benjamin Banneker; and others."
17. More factoids of interest. "Prince George's County is the wealthiest majority African-American county in the nation, so it has several historical African-American sites to visit."
18. Great museums are highlighted. "Named after two of the most famous Maryland-born African Americans--mathematician and astronomer Benjamin Banneker and orator and civil rights leader Frederick Douglass--the Banneker-Douglass Museum is Maryland's official repository for African-American cultural artifacts. It holds one of the state's largest collections of art, rare books, artifacts, historical documents, and photographs depicting African-American life in Maryland."
19. Contributions from Thurgood Marshall. "In 1935 Marshall successfully argued for the admission of Donald Murray to the University Of Maryland School Of Law. This was the first step on the road to Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka in which the United States Supreme Court in 1954 overturned the doctrine of "separate but equal" established by Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)."
20. Black renaissance through new memorials highlighted by the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial.
21. Includes formal bibliography.

Negatives:
1. The book was published in 2007 so could use an update. A Kindle Single as an updated companion piece would work.
2. A little repetitive.
3. A glossary of illustrious African Americans covered in the book would have added value.

In summary, this was a very good and succinct tour of our Nation's Capital focusing on the great contributions from African Americans. Holland is engaging and shares many interesting and memorable tidbits. As a resident of Maryland and a frequent traveler to D.C., I assure you I will never look at the national landmarks the same way again and I have Mr. Holland to thank for that. A fun and great book to have when you are touring the National Mall and other regional landmarks, I highly recommend it!

Further recommendations: "Fodor's Virginia and Maryland: with Washington D.C. (Travel Guide)" by Fodor's, "The Unofficial Guide to Washington, D.C. (Unofficial Guides)" by Eve Zibart, "Twelve Years a Slave" by Solomon Northrup, "Heroes In Black Skins" by Booker T. Washington, "The Souls of Black Folk" by W.E.B. DuBois, "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" by Michelle Alexander, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" by Frederick Douglass, and "Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom" by Catherine Clinton.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute book. A light easy read. I'm now planning a trip to DC to visit the sites!

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent work by Jesse J Holland that will educate, impress and honor those African Americans whose sweat and hard work as slaves built our Nation's Capitol. This is a must read because most American's have no idea the importance Afro American's played in the building of one of this planets most historical site. There were free slaves and slaves, American's is a better tribute, that worked the Capitol that signifies that " All Men are created equal" and never forget it!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In June 2024 I took a day tour of the African-American Museum of History and Culture which included stops at some of the African American sites on the National Mall, plus Black Broadway. Really informative. The guide mentioned this book so I had to check it out. Everything included on the tour is here but in more depth, and other sites in and around Washington, D.C.

I've come to accept that the public education I received growing up was quite inadequate, as was every person I know, and it appears that was by design to keep us ignorant of the truth about our country. I am a person who highly values the truth, and this book will enlighten you on every page.

Less than 200 pages, informative but in a "tour guide" style. Lots of photos!

Highly recommended.

[Monical · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, with its breezy "tourist guide" tone, but was disappointed at how dated the book is-- it was on our library's "new book" shelf but I see it was actually published in 2007, and it shows! One good example is the discussion in the book about building Healy Hall (led by Healy, who was partially African-American) without any of the recent disclosure that slaves were sold to maintain the University (and a great story that is, too!). Still a good read and especially helpful to enhance the experiences of people visiting DC and the DC area to include black history and monuments.

[Jules Bertaut · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a nice short popular nonfiction book about black people in DC and environs. This book is organized by location as opposed to by time or something, which took me a little while to get into. Some of the history is a little simplistic. Nonetheless, this was a really interesting book that highlighted lots of places with African American history connections, most of which I knew nothing about.

I think this would be a good book to as a guidebook to lesser-known sites in the DC area. Actually, a great use of this book would be to give it to a high school kid, have them read about the various sites, and then take them to those sites.

[Gail Johnson, Ph.D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring on the who's who in African American History in the D.C., Maryland and Virginnia areas. As I read the book, I had to look up some of the names such as the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, The Arlington House and the history of the National Mall just to name a few. A must read for history buffs.

[Vincent · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since Jesse is a well-known reporter with the AP, I figured this would be well research and detailed - just as if it were written as a news story. But while this book is useful and interesting in many ways, there is not a lot of original research in it.
Instead, it is intended more as a helpful guide to point out not only how African Americans were instrumental in building the US Capitol but also the role they played in other slices of the District of Columbia's long history.
For example, there are sections in the book about historical sites not just on the mall but also in Maryland and Virginia.
There are some nice drawings and maps that also help make the book really useful as a guide if you are visiting from out of town or want to help children really appreciate the role that blacks played in so much of construction and settlement of the nation's capital.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

start: boy, did white people leave stuff out of the history books!!
end: this makes me want to take a trip to DC with my kiddo and show her all the sacrifices that her ancestors made that got her rights where they are now, and that DWB (Driving While Black) isn't half the frustration that her forebearer went through.
I alos, of all the new info i got, learned to more fully appreciate Benjamin Banneker's genius. He built a clock that struck the accurate time hourly for fifty years, after taking apart and rebuilding someone's pocket watch!

[P.W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is written by my good friend Carol's husband Jesse. I really liked this book--I found it to be incredibly informative and really well organized. If you wanted to take it on a walking tour of the DC area, you would definitely benefit from the extra information--there's a lot in there that you don't learn anywhere else.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were areas of D.C. and Baltimore that I would have included which the author did not, but this is a very good travel guide book.

[Lady Makaveli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be MANDATORY reading!