1865 Freedman’s Bureau

This article from the History Channel on the Freedman’s Bureau provides a description of the bureau “established in 1865 by Congress to help millions of former black slaves and poor whites in the South in the aftermath of the Civil War. The Freedmen’s Bureau provided food, housing and medical aid, established schools and offered legal assistance. It also attempted to settle former slaves on land confiscated or abandoned during the war. However, the bureau was prevented from fully carrying out its programs due to a shortage of funds and personnel, along with the politics of race and Reconstruction.”

The National Museum of African American History & Culture now has an online searchable portal of records from the Freedman’s Bureau including, “over 1.7 million handwritten records containing the names and information of hundreds of thousands of formerly enslaved individuals and Southern white refugees.” It’s easily searchable with options for text, location and a name search. Just another tool for us to use to seek some of our lost treasures. We’ll do good work for you.