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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Sunday, February 1, 2015

Payroll for carpenters May 1795

The "rate" is the weekly wage in Maryland shillings. Tom, Peter, Ben, Harry and Daniel were slaves. They likely worked fewer days that month because their masters assigned them to another job for which the masters received a higher wage. Tom was owned by the foreman Pierce Purcell, the other 4 by James Hoban, superintendent of construction at the President's House. I do not think the carpenters worked on Sundays. There were 26 working days in May 1795. Workers were credit with 2 extra hours when working dawn to dusk in months with long daylight hours. So for each 6 day week they worked, they were credit with another full days pay.


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