Black and white images are scans of documents I photocopied at the National Archives in 1989 when I did research for my book Through a Fiery Trial: Building Washington 1790-1800. I found the color images on the web that were published by the National Archives, US Capitol Historical Society or White House Historical Association in order to show the use of slave labor. This summer while writing Slave Labor in the Capital: Building Washington's Iconic Federal Landmarks I tried to photograph more payrolls at the Archives but archivists had no record of where they were. I place several of these documents in context on my blog Slave Labor in the Capital. However, most of the payrolls here and in the Archives chronicle the work of free laborers. Even taken as a whole these payrolls should not be used to compare the contributions of free and slave labor because the slave laborers hired by the year for a total wage going to their masters of between $60 to $72 were not on payrolls. These payrolls do give a fair gauge of absence of skilled slaves. I apologize for poor quality of many images, the notes I made on the photocopies, the cropping I did to save money at the photocopying machine, etc. I have neither funding, proper equipment nor access to the originals. However, I don't want that. I am doing this in attempt to inspire others who are well funded, well equipped and with full access to preserve and share these documents.
Bob Arnebeck

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Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Payroll for Laborers May 1797

By this time hired slave laborers were not labelled with an "N" or called "Negro." Hired slaves can be distinguished by seeing who signed to receive their wages. For example the wages of "Benjamin  Burnes" were received by James Burnes. So Benjamin was a slave of James Burnes. I am uncertain if the many signatures by the overseers Hollingshead and Smallwood meant they owned the men listed or were acting agents for masters who hired out the slave laborers.


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