Freedmen's Bureau
Record Group 105
Getting to know the Freedmen's Bureau
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.
Purpose of the Freedmen's Bureau
Education
Establishing schools to educate freedmen and their children, many of whom had been denied literacy during slavery.
Employment
Facilitating labor contracts between freedmen and landowners to provide work opportunities.
Healthcare
Setting up hospitals and providing medical care to freedmen.
Legal Assistance
Offering legal protection for African Americans, particularly in disputes regarding labor, property, or civil rights.
Relief Efforts
Providing food, clothing, and basic necessities to displaced individuals.
Land Redistribution
Managing confiscated or abandoned lands and attempting (though often unsuccessfully) to allocate land to freed families.
Locating the Freedmen's Bureau Records?
| Website | Cost | Source |
| African American Civil War Museum | Free | AACW Museum |
| Ancestry.com | Paid | Ancestry.com LLC |
| Discover Freedmen | Free | FamilySearch/NMAAHC |
| NMAAHC | Free | FamilySearch International |
| Fold3 | Paid | Ancestry/Fold3 |
| Freedmen's Bureau Online | Free | Independent Volunteers |
| Internet Archive | Free | Internet Archive |
| National Archives (NARA) | Free | U.S. National Archives |
| Freedmen's Bureau Search Portal | Free | Smithsonian Institution |
| The Freedmen's Bureau Records | Free | Smithsonian Institution |
| Searching the Freedmen's Bureau Records | Free | Smithsonian Institution |
| Freedmen's Bureau Digital Collection | Free | Smithsonian Institution |
| Reclaim the Records | Free | Smithsonian Institution |
| Reclaim the Records | Free | Reclaim the Records Non-Profit |
Levels of the Freedmen's Bureau?
The Freedmen’s Bureau operated through a structured hierarchy to manage its many responsibilities.
Its key operational levels included Headquarters, Superintendents of Education, and Field Offices (See Freedmen Records → M1900-M1913), each of which played an essential role in implementing the Bureau’s policies and serving freed African Americans.
01
Headquarters (National Level)
The Headquarters of the Freedmen's Bureau, located in Washington, D.C., served as the administrative center.
- Leadership: Headed by the Bureau Commissioner, most notably Major General Oliver O. Howard.
- Policy Development: Headquarters was responsible for creating policies to guide the Bureau’s efforts, including education, labor contracts, legal aid, and land management.
- Resource Distribution: Allocating funds, supplies, and personnel to regional offices across the South.
- Oversight: Monitoring the operations of state-level commissioners and field agents to ensure compliance with federal goals.
- Reporting: Providing Congress with reports on the Bureau’s progress, challenges, and needs.
02
Superintendents of Education (State-Level and Regional)
Education was a cornerstone of the Freedmen’s Bureau’s work, and it required specialized leadership. At the state or district level, Superintendents of Education oversaw educational initiatives for freedmen.
- Educational Oversight: Supervising the establishment of schools for African Americans in rural and urban areas.
- Teacher Recruitment: Partnering with Northern missionary societies, such as the American Missionary Association (AMA), to recruit teachers, often from Northern states.
- School Funding: Allocating federal funds to build schoolhouses, pay teachers, and purchase supplies like books and equipment.
- Monitoring Progress: Collecting data on enrollment, school conditions, and literacy rates to evaluate educational progress.
- Coordination: Working with local field agents, churches, and philanthropists to support education programs.
03
Field Offices (Local Level)
The Field Offices were the Bureau’s most critical and visible presence, operating in communities across the Southern states. These offices connected the Bureau’s policies to the people it served.
- Labor Relations: Assisting freed people with fair employment contracts and resolving labor disputes.
- Legal Aid: Representing African Americans in courts, especially in disputes involving wages, land, and family rights.
- Relief Distribution: Providing food, clothing, and medical care to impoverished individuals.
- Family Reunification: Assisting freed people in locating and reconnecting with relatives separated during slavery.
- Land Management: Overseeing abandoned or confiscated lands and managing land lease programs.
- Education Implementation: Supporting local teachers, monitoring schools, and ensuring freed children received education.
What records are in the Freedmen's Bureau?
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.
Renate Yarborough Sanders
Records of the Freedmen’s Bureau:
Renate Yarborough Sanders’ YouTube video titled “Records of the Freedmen’s Bureau: There’s Something for Everyone” is an educational presentation that explores the immense value of the Freedmen’s Bureau records for genealogical research. In the video, Renate emphasizes that these records, although often associated with formerly enslaved African Americans, contain information that is valuable to genealogists of all backgrounds.
While these records are often associated with African Americans, Renate highlights that they also document poor white Southerners, refugees, and even plantation owners.
The Freedmen’s Bureau records often reflect interactions between freedmen and their former enslavers, making them useful for uncovering complex family relationships.
