Learn more about the enslaved people who helped build Washington, DC
10 Million Names has a recommended reading list for those who want to know more.
Since 2023, ABC News has partnered with 10 Million Names to bring stories to life that illuminate the history of slavery in America using the power of genealogy research.
10 Million Names primarily functions as an online ancestry database which the public can access to look up their family histories and contribute vital information to. The organization's ultimate goal is to identify the names of all 10 million people who were enslaved in North America whose names have been lost to history, in order to bring dignity to the enslaved and to create family connections for the living.
“We would like to, as best we can, find the names of all of [the enslaved],” said Yale Professor Vincent Brown, of the 10 Million Names Scholars’ Council. “I think it's important to remember they had family; they had people who loved them; and by knowing their history it helps us understand a much fuller picture of American society.”
To learn more about enslaved people who built the White House, the U.S. Capitol, and those who lived and worked in Washington D.C., below is a recommended reading list curated by the 10 Million Names Scholars’ Council. The list includes the book title, authors, editors and the publisher’s note.
Paul Jennings, A Colored Man’s Reminiscences of James Madison (1863)
Born in Virginia and enslaved by President James Madison, Paul Jennings (1799-1874) traveled with the president to the White House, where he lived and worked. Years later, he purchased his freedom, participated in the abolition movement, and shared some of his experiences and reminiscences in this short memoir.
Elizabeth Keckley, Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House (1868)
Born enslaved in North Carolina, Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley (1818-1907) purchased her freedom and used her skills as a dressmaker to set up a successful business in antebellum Washington D.C. Serving as seamstress and confidante to Mary Todd Lincoln, Keckley is remembered today as a designer, educator, abolitionist, and writer. Considered one of the most candid slave narratives, "Behind the Scenes" details Keckley’s journey from enslaved adolescence to freedom in Washington, D.C., including her experiences as a businesswoman, relationship with the Lincolns, and experiences at the White House.
Bob Arnebeck, Slave Labor in the Capital: Building Washington’s Iconic Federal Landmarks (2014)
During his presidency, George Washington appointed a commission to build the nation’s future capital, including the Capitol and the White House. By 1798, half of the 200 men building these landmarks were enslaved. Drawing upon research in the commissioners’ records, this book details the daily lives and experiences of these individuals.
Elizabeth Dowling Taylor, A Slave in the White House: Paul Jennings and the Madisons (2012)
Born in Virginia and enslaved by President James Madison, Paul Jennings (1799-1874) traveled with the president to the White House, where he lived and worked. Once free, Jennings served the abolition movement, wrote the first White House memoir, and witnessed his sons fight with the Union Army in the Civil War. Drawing upon legal documents, correspondence, and journals, historian Elizabeth Dowling Taylor explores the worlds of Paul Jennings and the Madisons and illuminates the complexities of nineteenth-century attitudes toward slavery, abolition, and civil rights.
Kate Masur & Liz Clarke, Freedom Was in Sight: A Graphic History of Reconstruction in the Washington, D.C., Region (2024)
This book offers a graphic history of the Reconstruction era, including the role of African Americans in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding region within this transformative period. The book includes well-known individuals such as Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells, as well as unsung individuals such as Emma Brown, first African American teacher in D.C.’s public schools. Written by Pulitzer Prize-finalist Kate Masur, the book includes drawings by award-winning graphic artist Liz Clarke.
David Blight, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom (2018)
Born enslaved in Maryland, Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) escaped to the North and emerged as the nation’s leading abolitionist and major literary political figure of his time. This Pulitzer Prize-winning biography tells the story of Frederick Douglass and the world around him.
Jesse Holland, Black Men Built the Capitol: Discovering African-American History In and Around Washington, D.C
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 remains: Where's the Black history? Packed with new information and archival photos, "Black Men Built the Capitol" answers this question.
Jesse Holland, The Invisibles: The Untold Story of African American Slaves in the White House (2016)
"The Invisibles" tells the story of men and women who were enslaved by U.S. presidents and lived and labored in the White House. The book documents African American presence inside the White House from 1782 to 1862.
Clarence Lusane, Black History of the White House (2011)
"Black History of the White House" tells the story of African American experiences of the White house, from the enslaved laborers who built it to the first African American First Family. Lusane uses the White House as a prism through which to view African American history and civil rights struggle.
Pero Gaglo Dagbovie, Carter G. Woodson in Washington, D.C.: The Father of Black History
Known as the “father of Black History,” historian Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) is largely responsible for the creation of African American history as a field of study, as well as what became Black History Month in the United States. Much of this work took place at his home in Northwest D.C., where Woodson established the headquarters of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) and dedicated his life to Black history’s “mass education movement.”
Additional Online resources:
Freedmen’s Bureau Search Portal
White House Historical Association
African American Civil War Memorial Museum
Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum
Carter G. Woodson Home: National Historic Site, District of Columbia
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