Bill O’Reilly: Slaves that built White House were ‘well-fed’

The first family lives in the White House like every presidential family before them.

Seeking to “fact check” that claim, O’Reilly said that the slaves who built the White House “were well-fed and had decent lodgings”. That’s outright false. The White House Historical Association verifies that there were indeed white workers, but the vast majority of the workers were black people, who were both slave and free.

O’Reilly’s comments have drawn criticism on social media.

This morning, six-time Tony-award-winning actress Audra McDonald slammed O’Reilly on Twitter with a much-needed history lesson.

Obama has not commented on O’Reilly’s rebuttal to her speech, and O’Reilly has not yet responded to the backlash (as of this writing).

“In addition, free blacks, white and immigrants also worked on the massive building”, he said.

They have a page dedicated to answering the question of slaves’ role in building the White House. There were no illegal immigrants at that time. “If you could make it here, you could stay here”, he added.

The White House is a well-known symbol of American liberty and pride.

“Bill O’Reilly wants you to know that the slaves who built the White House were well-fed”.

“Enslaved people quarried and cut the rough stone that was later dressed and laid by Scottish masons to erect the walls of the president’s house”.

Slaves were used in clearing the land, quarrying the clay bricks, digging the foundation and laying the bricks for the White House, with commissioners advertising in local newspapers for additional help.

Oh, yeah, I think we got it.

When construction began in 1792, after an attempt to recruit laborers from Europe did not yield well, commissioners rented African American slaves from slave owners to do the work, alongside various paid laborers and artisans.