In her much repeated statement concerning "waking up in a house that was built by slaves" Michelle O. was only partially correct. Yes, since it's conception back in 1800 through 1863 there were indeed many slaves that contributed to the building and sequential reconstruction of the White House. But, since Jan. 1, 1863 there have been massive changes to the building and no slaves were used except for those young ones that were best known as "apprenticed or indentured" help which came from all races and cultures. Now, I was thinking about the subject and it suddenly hit me that no one, when the conversation is brought around to slavery, has ever talked about child labor/slavery. Instead of dividing the races again as the Obama family is famous for, when she was speaking to the young folks about going out to make their future she could have brought out that for every slave there were probably 10 or so children of all races under the age of 12 or 13 working for nothing except room and board and possibly, but not manditorially, a small stipend along side them. She could have mentioned that the education that they had received was not readily available to many people of all races who in past history had to serve as laborers until they became finally independent late in their teens. Granted, Michelle isn't the only one who doesn't remember or know anything about child labor but it should be something that should be perused on a more serious level. Volumns could be written about it because even after the emancipation proclamation of 1863 which freed any race from becoming or being a slave, it did not include children as a whole. Not until 1938 did anything dramatic change so far as child labor / slavery laws in the U.S. but those changes have never really effected the agriculture industry (as an example) in which nearly 500,000 children are used yearly to harvest our food. I am not sure if that figure also includes the kids of families who own farms but it's still a large figure even if they are inclusive. I get sooooo tired of the race baiting, so think about it, how many of you whether black, white, brown or indigo with pink spots had parents or grandparents who started out as an unpaid apprentice or a product of child labor "indiscretions"? Instead of concentrating on just one race enslaved for a period, why not concentrate on the types and people who are a product of slavery that still exists today? We cannot change history but the wrongs of today can be changed dramatically before they too affect the future.
this is excellent @Bobby Cole I agree totally. If I had time I'd comment further on this, maybe a little later I will. I think that electing Obama will go down in history as at least "one" if not the biggest mistake America ever made. If Hillary is elected, it would be a tight run for the 1st in the "hall of shame".
The white house interior was rebuilt in 1949-1952 period, not by slaves, but by the general contractor, John McShain Inc.
there's a story behind that rebuild. president Truman was moved across the street to the Blair house where an attempt was made on his life by activists and members of the extremist Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, a group fighting for full independence from the United States. the attack failed as DC police and the secret service opened fire. http://www.trumanlibrary.org/trivia/assassin.htm