Philip Reid Saves the Statue of Freedom

On December 2, 1863, a bronze statue was placed atop the dome of the United States Capitol Building. Standing more than 19 feet tall, the figure called “Freedom” was designed and created during a period of great turmoil in American history. But at one point during its creation, it wasn’t clear the statue would even get to its final destination. One man, in particular, played an important role in seeing the statue through to completion. His name was Philip Reid and he was a slave. Born into slavery, Philip Reid grew up on a South Carolina farm, helping various craftsmen such as the blacksmith and the potter. Eventually, he was sold to a man named Clark Mills, who was opening a foundry in Washington, D.C. Mr. Mills’s foundry is contracted to cast the Freedom statue but the project is jeopardized when a seemingly unsolvable puzzle arises. And it is Philip Reid, an American-born slave, who steps in.