10 Secrets Of The White House

As the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama stirred up some controversy when she said the White House was built by slaves. But while some were upset with Michelle's comments, it turns out the First Lady knows her American history. According to a 2005 investigation by Congress, about 400 of the 600 laborers who built the White House were, in fact, slaves. Originally, federal planners had intended on hiring workers from Europe, but they weren't able to build a big-enough workforce. So instead, the government decided to rent human beings.

Slave owners were paid $60 a year for every slave they loaned to the DC building project. And it should come as no surprise that the slaves didn't see a single penny. Without any say in the matter, these men were forced to chop down trees, quarry stone, make bricks, and paint walls. They built the exterior of the building, and when that was finished, they worked on the inside as well.

Not only did slaves build the White House, they also worked on the Capitol and other government buildings around DC. But while they were never compensated, they weren't completely forgotten. Historians were able to learn some of their names, men like Peter, Ben, Harry, and Daniel. These slaves spent their days toiling away in Washington DC, building a land of the free and home of the brave ... all while their master, James Hoban (yep, him again), was busy overseeing construction of the White House.

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