The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, commonly known as the Freedmen’s Bureau, was an agency established by the United States government in 1865, shortly after the end of the Civil War. Its primary purpose was to aid formerly enslaved people and impoverished whites in the Southern States and the District of Columbia during the Reconstruction era. The bureau’s establishment was part of the larger effort to rebuild the South and to integrate millions of newly freed African Americans into American society as citizens with rights.
- Functions of the Freedmen's Bureau
- Diverse Assistance Provided by the Bureau
Providing Basic Needs: The bureau distributed food and clothing and provided medical care to both former slaves and needy whites in the South.
Establishing Schools: One of the most significant achievements of the Freedmen’s Bureau was its role in education. It established numerous schools, including several historically black colleges and universities, to educate freedmen. This was a monumental step as education for African Americans in the South had been either minimal or non-existent under slavery.
Legal Assistance: The bureau also played a crucial role in legal affairs. It helped freedmen legalize marriages, pursued cases of injustice against them, and helped them negotiate labor contracts. This was a vital service as many African Americans were entering into labor contracts for the first time.
Land Redistribution: Initially, the bureau was involved in redistributing confiscated and abandoned lands to former slaves. However, this aspect of its work was undermined and largely reversed by President Andrew Johnson’s restoration of this land to its pre-war owners.
Promoting Employment: The bureau assisted freedmen in finding employment and was instrumental in negotiating labor contracts. This function was critical in a region where the economic system had been upended by the abolition of slavery.
Freedmen (African Americans – Negroes and Mulattos): The Bureau provided vital support to Black individuals who were transitioning from enslavement to freedom. This included help in finding family members, securing employment, accessing education, and legal assistance.
Refugees (White Southerners): The Bureau also helped white Southerners displaced by the war. This included assistance with basic needs and support in navigating the post-war social and economic landscape.
- Abandoned Lands: Lands abandoned or confiscated during the war, often owned by secessionists. The Freedmen’s Bureau was involved in managing and overseeing these lands, some of which were settled by freedmen as part of Reconstruction efforts. However, much of this land was later redistributed or returned to owners who pledged loyalty to the Union, which led to many freedmen losing the land they had been farming.
- Marriage Records: For the first time, African Americans could have their marriages legally recognized and recorded. The chaplains of the Bureau facilitated these marriages, creating valuable records for historical and genealogical research.
- Contraband camps: these were established during the American Civil War to shelter African Americans who escaped slavery. These camps emerged as Union forces advanced into Confederate territories. Escaped slaves, referred to as “contraband of war,” sought refuge with Union troops. The Union military, viewing these individuals as contraband, or captured enemy property, provided them sanctuary. These camps were significant in transitioning from slavery to freedom and were precursors to the Freedmen’s Bureau’s efforts in rebuilding lives post-war.
Law Creating the Freedmen’s Bureau
| The organizational order |
| National Headquarters - Washington, DC |
| Assistant Commissioners - State Level |
| Sub-Assistant Commissioners - Counties in their Districts |
| Field Offices - Cities, Towns, Counties, Courthouses, etc. |
State Records of Assistant Commissioner Pre-Bureau Records
The term “Pre-Bureau Records” in the context of 1863 Mississippi, Louisiana, and Fort Monroe, Virginia, typically refers to documents and records that predate the establishment of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, commonly known as the Freedmen’s Bureau. This Bureau was established in 1865, so pre-Bureau records from 1863 would encompass a variety of documents created during the Civil War, before official government assistance to freed slaves and war refugees was organized. These pre-Bureau records are valuable for understanding the complexities of life in the Confederate states during the Civil War and the experiences of both enslaved and free individuals in this turbulent period.
- Fort Monroe, Virginia in 1863
- Louisiana 1863
- Mississippi in 1863
Context:
- Fort Monroe played a unique role during the Civil War. It remained in Union hands throughout the conflict and became a place of refuge for escaped slaves, known as “Contrabands of War.”
Types of Records:
- Military and Naval Records: As a significant military installation, records of military operations, naval engagements, and garrison orders would be prevalent.
- Contraband Slave Records: Documentation about escaped slaves who sought refuge at the fort. These may include registers of contraband slaves, reports on their conditions, and correspondence about their status.
- Union Army Correspondence: Communications within the Union Army regarding military strategy, the management of escaped slaves, and interactions with Confederate forces.
Types of Records:
- Military Records: These include Confederate and Union army records, detailing military operations, battles, and soldier enlistments.
- Slave Records: Documentation related to slavery, such as slaveholder records, slave trade transactions, and plantation records.
- Personal Correspondence: Letters and diaries from soldiers, plantation owners, and civilians that provide personal accounts of life and events during this tumultuous period.
- Government Documents: State and local government records, including legislation, decrees, and official communications.
Types of Records:
- Military Records: These include Confederate and Union army records, detailing military operations, battles, and soldier enlistments.
- Slave Records: Documentation related to slavery, such as slaveholder records, slave trade transactions, and plantation records.
- Personal Correspondence: Letters and diaries from soldiers, plantation owners, and civilians that provide personal accounts of life and events during this tumultuous period.
- Government Documents: State and local government records, including legislation, decrees, and official communications.
- Headquarters
- Superintendents of Education
- Field Office Records
The Freedmen’s Bureau Headquarters Records refer to the collection of documents, correspondences, reports, and records generated by the central office or headquarters of the Freedmen’s Bureau. These records are invaluable for understanding the Bureau’s operations, policies, and the challenges it faced during its existence from 1865 to 1872. Here are key aspects of these records:
Types of Documents: The records include letters, reports, labor contracts, marriage records, and documents related to education, land, and legal proceedings. They also contain correspondences between Bureau officials and other government entities.
Selected Series of Records Issued by the Commissioner of the Bureau of Refugees
The Freedmen’s Bureau Records of Superintendents of Education are a significant collection of historical documents from the post-Civil War Reconstruction era in the United States. These records were created by the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, commonly known as the Freedmen’s Bureau, which was established in 1865 to assist formerly enslaved people and impoverished whites in the Southern states and the District of Columbia.
Selected Series of Records Issued by the Commissioner of the Bureau of Refugees
M803) Records of the Education Division – 35 Rolls
The Freedmen’s Bureau Field Office Records are a crucial historical resource for understanding the Reconstruction era in the United States, particularly regarding the experiences of freed African Americans following the Civil War. Film # M1900-M1913 in the Freedmen’s Bureau records refers to a specific set of microfilm rolls within the larger collection of records from the Freedmen’s Bureau to assist freed slaves (freedmen) and poor whites in the Southern United States.
The Bureau’s records, which include correspondence, reports, contracts, and other documents, provide a crucial primary source for understanding the Reconstruction era, the challenges faced by freedmen, and the workings of the early attempts at social reform in the United States. These records cover a wide range of activities undertaken by the Bureau, such as the distribution of food and clothing, the establishment of schools, the management of confiscated lands, and the administration of justice.
- Ancestry.com
- National Archives
- Smithsonnian
- Adjutant General’s Office: Office of the Adjutant General, 1872-1878 (M2029, 58 rolls)
- Freedmen’s Savings and Trust: Freedmen’s Savings and Trust (M816, 27 rolls)
- Freedmen’s Savings and Trust: Freedmen’s Savings and Trust (M816, 27 rolls)
- Marriage: Marriage (M1875, 5 rolls)
- HQ
- Superintendents of Education
- Assistant Commissioners
- Field Offices
- Alabama (M810, 8 rolls) FULLY TRANSCRIBED
- Arkansas (M980, 5 rolls) FULLY TRANSCRIBED
- District of Columbia (M1056, 24 rolls) FULLY TRANSCRIBED
- Georgia (M799, 28 rolls) FULLY TRANSCRIBED
- Louisiana (M1026, 12 rolls) PARTIALLY TRANSCRIBED
- North Carolina (M844, 16 rolls)
- Tennessee (M1000, 9 rolls) PARTIALLY TRANSCRIBED
- Texas (M822, 18 rolls) FULLY TRANSCRIBED
- Virginia (1053, 20 rolls) PARTIALLY TRANSCRIBED
- Alabama (M809, 23 rolls) PARTIALLY TRANSCRIBED
- Arkansas (M979, 52 rolls)
- District of Columbia (M1055, 21 rolls)
- Georgia (M798, 36 rolls) FULLY TRANSCRIBED
- Louisiana (M1027, 36 rolls)
- Louisiana – New Orleans Asst. Commissioner (M1483, 10 rolls)
- Mississippi (M826, 50 rolls) PARTIALLY TRANSCRIBED
- North Carolina (M843, 38 rolls) PARTIALLY TRANSCRIBED
- South Carolina (M869, 44 rolls) PARTIALLY TRANSCRIBED
- Tennessee (M999, 34 rolls) FULLY TRANSCRIBED
- Texas (M821, 32 rolls) FULLY TRANSCRIBED
- Virginia (M1048, 67 rolls) Transcription in process
- Alabama (M1900, 34 rolls)
- Arkansas (M1901, 23 rolls)
- District of Columbia (M1902, 21 rolls) PARTIALLY TRANSCRIBED
- Florida (M1869, 15 rolls)
- Georgia (M1903, 90 rolls)
- Kentucky (M1904, 133 rolls)
- Louisiana (M1905, 111 rolls)
- Maryland/Delaware (M1906, 42 rolls)
- Mississippi – Pre-Bureau Records (M1914, 5 rolls)
- Mississippi (M1907, 65 rolls) Transcription in process
- Missouri (M1908, 24 rolls)
- North Carolina (M1909, 78 rolls) PARTIALLY TRANSCRIBED
- South Carolina (M1910, 106 rolls)
- Tennessee (M1911, 89 rolls)
- Texas (M1912, 28 rolls)
- Virginia (M1913, 203 rolls)
Field Office Records Key elements found in these records include:
- Claim Records: These records typically involve claims made by formerly enslaved individuals or Union loyalists who lost property during the Civil War. They might include claims for lost wages, compensation for injuries, or restitution for property taken or destroyed by military forces.
- Court Records: These contain details of legal proceedings and decisions made by the Freedmen’s Bureau courts. The Bureau set up its own legal system to adjudicate issues involving freed people, such as disputes over labor contracts, cases of racial discrimination, and violence against African Americans.
- Hospital and Medical Records: These provide information about the medical services provided by the Bureau. They include records of hospital admissions, treatments given to freed people, and sometimes details of specific medical conditions and health issues prevalent at the time.
- Labor Contracts, Indenture, and Apprenticeship: These documents record agreements between employers and employees. After emancipation, many freed people entered into labor contracts with former owners or new employers. Records of indenture and apprenticeship often involve agreements for minors who were to be trained in a trade.
- Land and Property Records: These include information about the allocation and use of abandoned or confiscated lands and properties. The Bureau played a role in redistributing land to freed people, a key aspect of Reconstruction-era policies.
- Person and Articles Hired: These records likely pertain to individuals who were hired for specific tasks or services, and possibly list the items or equipment that were also hired out for use.
- Ration Records: These detail the distribution of food, clothing, and other necessities to freed people and refugees. The Bureau provided basic necessities to assist those who were struggling to support themselves immediately after the Civil War.
- Records of Freedmen’s Complaints: These are records of complaints made by freed people to the Bureau, often regarding unfair labor practices, disputes over wages, racial discrimination, or violence. They provide insight into the challenges faced by African Americans during the Reconstruction era.
