Good for Whom? Olmsted, Parks, and Public Good
Adding Contexts of Settler Colonialism and Systemic Racism
The U.S. Capitol & Labor of Enslaved People
Contextualizing Olmsted's Romanticism
This panel notes that Olmsted envisioned the Capitol as "a symbol for and instrument of unification, home to a government that had abolished slavery." Enslaved Africans and Black people's labor was essential to building the capitol (as well as the nation's industry and economy).
Critical Inquiry: What do you the Capitol and its grounds represent to you based on the events you've learned about and/or lived through?
How does romanticism of the United States and the land it occupies shape Olmsted's ideas of "public good" for "everyone"?
The image above is of the commemorative marker that acknowledges the role of enslaved African Americans in building the Capitol. It was unveiled in 2012 and resides in Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center.
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