A Guide to the Freedmen's Bureau Records
- geneal1
- Jun 20
- 2 min read
Although this collection is not new, it has become more accessible thanks to the digitization efforts of Ancestry.com and FamilySearch. Search the site catalogs for more information.
The History of the Freedmen’s Bureau
The organization was formally called the “Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands.” As its name implies, the Bureau was chartered in 1865 to provide aid for refugees (most of them white) and newly freed African Americans (Freedmen), as well as manage property confiscated during the Civil War.
Relief assistance included education, health care, food, transportation, rations, employment, clothing, the construction of refugee camps, legal recognition of marriages, and more. The Bureau also assisted Black servicemen and their heirs in collecting pensions and back pay.
As a federal agency, the Bureau was operated by the federal government (specifically the War Department). Its records are thus in federal custody, categorized as Record Group (RG) 105. Records were created through the Bureau’s full lifetime (1865–1872), though “pre-Bureau” records exist as early as 1863 in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Virginia (Ft. Monroe).
As previously mentioned, the Bureau operated in several areas of society. Documents include marriage records, reports, letters, ration notes, labor contracts, and land applications. Taken together, they can provide you with:
Times, dates, and places for major life events, including births and marriages
Residences, including former locations before the Civil War
Relationships and names of family members
Ages
Medical conditions
Information about military service
Race
Occupations
Names of former slaveowners
You can visualize the Bureau’s work and determine where records are online for your area of interest at Mapping the Freedmen’s Bureau (https://mappingthefreedmensbureau.com/). The site also publishes the National Archives’ research guides.
Once you determine who you will research, set a realistic goal and face your research challenges head-on! There are articles that refer to the three E's in research. Expect challenges, Embrace them, and use them to Enhance your research skills. Careful and thorough research can help you achieve all three of these goals.
Contact me if you need assistance with your family research journey.
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