The Statue of Freedom was cast by a slave during the American Civil War

Art · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Perched atop the United States Capitol dome, the colossal Statue of Freedom is an icon of American history. While designed by Thomas Crawford in Rome, its final bronze casting was overseen by Philip Reid, an enslaved man who took charge of the project after the foundry foreman went on strike.

The Statue of Freedom, a 19.5-foot-tall bronze figure, serves as a crowning feature of the United States Capitol. Designed by the Neoclassical sculptor Thomas Crawford, the work was commissioned in 1854. Crawford completed the plaster model in his Rome studio before his sudden death in 1857 at age 43. The model was shipped to Washington, D.C., in pieces, a journey that saw the crates delayed in Bermuda due to a leaking ship before finally arriving in 1859.

The casting process, which began in 1860 at Clark Mills’ foundry, faced significant disruption due to the Civil War. When the foundry foreman walked off the job, Philip Reid, an enslaved worker at the facility, stepped in to manage the complex assembly. The statue was ultimately installed in sections atop the dome in late 1863. This installation was a momentous event, marked by a 35-gun salute that was echoed by artillery from the forts surrounding the capital.

The statue’s design underwent notable changes during its creation. Crawford originally included a liberty cap, a Roman symbol for an emancipated slave, but Jefferson Davis, then Secretary of War, demanded its removal, viewing it as inappropriate for a nation born free. It was replaced by a military helmet adorned with an eagle’s head and feathers. Today, the statue stands as a testament to both the artistic ambitions of the 19th century and the complex, often overlooked labor that brought such monumental works to life.

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