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.
Establishing schools to educate freedmen and their children, many of whom had been denied literacy during slavery.
Facilitating labor contracts between freedmen and landowners to provide work opportunities.
Setting up hospitals and providing medical care to freedmen.
Offering legal protection for African Americans, particularly in disputes regarding labor, property, or civil rights.
Providing food, clothing, and basic necessities to displaced individuals.
Managing confiscated or abandoned lands and attempting (though often unsuccessfully) to allocate land to freed families.
| 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 |
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
The Headquarters of the Freedmen's Bureau, located in Washington, D.C., served as the administrative center.
02
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.
03
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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’ 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.
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