What was the Freedmen's Bureau?
In 1865, the U.S. Congress passed “An Act to establish a Bureau for the Relief of Freedmen and Refugees” to provide food, shelter, clothing, medical services, and land to displaced Southerners, including newly freed African-Americans".
Commonly called "The Freedmen's Bureau", it was created near the end of the Civil War to help previously enslaved people move from slavery to citizenship and freedom. During its existence it supported more than 4 million people, that included some poor white people & veterans of the U.S. Colored Troops. Due to political opposition, it ended abruptly in 1872. The Bureau encompassed 11 former rebel states plus Maryland, Kentucky, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.
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| Map courtesy of Ancestry.com |
While parts of the Freedmen's Bureau records have been available on FamilySearch.org and Heritage Quest, now 3.5 million records have been digitized and INDEXED on Ancestry.com
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| Microfilm coverage of states where the Freedmen's Bureau was active. Chart courtesy of Anestry.com |
The above chart of microfilm of the Freedmen's Bureau Records illustrates that participation and coverage of the records is not evenly distributed throughout the effected areas.
For many of the descendants of the freed people, this is the earliest period for which they will find their ancestors' complete names in official documents.
And best of all, access to these records is FREE! at www.ancestry.com/freedmens
If you don't already have one, you will need to set up free account.
Documents include:
- Labor contracts between the freed people and new employers
- Contains employment and pay registers
- Rations to the poor (white or black)
- Set up apprenticeships
- Letters
- Legalizing marriages entered into during slavery
- Built hospitals& access those records
- Pension records
- Built thousands of schools, including Howard University in Washington, D.C. & includes school records
- Tax assessments
- Reunite previously enslaved people with family
- Assist in relocating people to other parts of the country
- Freedmen's Bank records
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| U.S., Freedmen’s Bureau Marriage Records, 1846-1867 for Julie Tagg Freedmen´s Marriage Certificates, 1865-1869 |
This marriage document from Memphis, Tennessee reveals a goldmine of information on the couple:
- It lists their names
- The date of the marriage
- Ages
- Their color complexion
- The color complexion of both sets of parents
- How many previous partners they have had.
- What happened to that relationship - separated by force
- How many children each of them are bringing into the marriage
This record predates the formation of the Freedmen's Bureau in 1865, but is included in those records.
Looking back four years to the 1860 Slave Schedule census for Ward 7 of Memphis Tennessee we find this listing for Joseph Tagg, my 4X great-uncle:
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| 1860 Slave Schedule Census for the 7th Ward, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee. |
It is very possible that the 30 year-old Julie Tagg from the marriage record is the same "28 year-old female slave" in Joseph Tagg's household.
Information found in Freedmen's documents:
- Name
- Sex
- Age
- Race (including complexion)
- Height
- Residence
- Occupation
- Names of Family Members
- Names of former enslavers/plantations
- Names of employers
This listing in the index to the the Freedmen's Bank Records...
Led to this record:
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| This record lists Joseph FOGG's parents and brothers and sisters and Joseph's occupation on the FamilySearch digitized microfilm. United States, Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874 Memphis, Tennessee Roll 24, Dec 28, 1865. |
This register of signatures for depositor's is for Fannie ARTIS:
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| Listing her age, birthplace, residence, parents' and sisters' names, it also tells us that her husband is deceased and he is not the father of her infant son. Like many previously enslaved people, Fannie could not write her own name. |
The database consists of three record sets.
- Freedmen's Bureau Records, 1865-1878
- Freedmen's Bureau Marriage Records, 1846-1867
- Freedmen's Bureau Bank Records, 1865-1874
If you want to focus on records in one of the sets, from Ancestry's drop down menu choose "Catalog" and perform a keyword search on "Freedmens" and then choose which set you want to search.
Not sure if there was a Freedmen's Bureau office where your people of interest lived? Check out Mapping the Freedmen's Bureau.
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| "The Freedmens Bureau" by A. R.Waud Man representing the Freedman's Bureau stands between armed groups of Euro-Americans and Afro-Americans. Originally published in Harper's Weekly, July 25, 1868. From the Library of Congress |
The Bureau faced stiff political opposition from President Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) and white Southerners and was eventually closed down in 1872 without completing its missions.
Ultimately, its biggest success was introducing the Federal Government into issues such as social welfare and labor relations.
If you would like to learn more about this African-American resource and many others, please sign up for the virtual class presented by renowned scholar, Ari Wilkins, for Beginning African American Genealogy on February 28.
OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS:
- Genealogy Discussion Group - Noon on February 9 - Join the Genealogy Team staff as all things genealogy is discussed. No registration required.
- The Underground Railroad - The Medina County Historical Society will be hosting an event on February 26th from 1-2 p.m. at the Medina Library on the Underground Railroad in Medina, covering stations on the trail, local abolitionists, and the African Americans in Medina County. Contact the Historical Society with any questions: mchs@zoominternet.net
SOURCES:
- "Ancestry® Adds New Freedmen’s Bureau Collection that Enables Family History Discoveries for Descendants of Formerly Enslaved People", 24 August 2021, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/corporate/newsroom/press-releases/ancestry-adds-new-freedmens-bureau-collection-enables-family-history
- "Freedmen's Bureau", 3 October 2019, History.com, https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/freedmens-bureau
- "Freedmen's Bureau Collection on Ancestry with Christa Cowan" uploaded by Ancestry.com on August 21, 2021, Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/AncestryUS/videos/the-freedmens-bureau-collection-on-ancestry-with-crista-cowan/802996133652532/
- "Freedmen's Bureau Records on Ancestry" with Nicka Sewill-Smith uploaded by GenealogyTV on August 30, 2021 YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8-4fWFNwP0
- "The Freedmen's Bureau" African American Heritage, Archives.gov, https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/freedmens-bureau
- "The Freedmens Bureau" by A. R.Waud Originally published in Harper's Weekly, July 25 1868. From the Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/item/92514996/
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