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United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education - FamilySearch Historical Records: Difference between revisions

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{{FamilySearch_Collection
'''[[United States Genealogy|United States]]'''
|CID=CID2427894  
{{US NARA HR Infobox
|title=United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education, 1865-1872
| CID=CID2427894
|location=United States
| title=United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education, 1865-1872
}}<br>
| location= United States
| LOC_01 = 
| LOC_02 =
| LOC_03 =
| record_type =Monthly Teacher Reports and Monthly Reports of the Sub-Assistant Commissioner or Agents   
| record_group_nr = 105
| record_group_title = [http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/105.html Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands]
| start_year = 1865
| end_year = 1872
| alt_flag = Flag_of_the_United_State_(1863-1865).png
| alt_flag_desc = US Flag 1863-1865 (35 stars)
| micro_pub_nr = 
| micro_pub_title =
| micro_pub_rolls = 
| coll_series =
| arrangement = 
| NAID = [https://catalog.archives.gov/id/434 434]
| language =
| FS_URL_01 = [[GuidedResearch:United States|United States Guided Research]]
| FS_URL_02 = [[United States Record Finder]]
| FS_URL_03 = [[United States Research Tips and Strategies]]
| FS_URL_04 = [[African American Genealogy]]
| FS_URL_05 = [[African American Freedmen's Bureau Records]] 
| FS_URL_06 = [[Quick Guide to African American Records]] 
| FS_URL_07 = [[Getting Started With African American Research]] 
| FS_URL_08 = 
| FS_URL_09 = [[African American Introduction]] 
| FS_URL_10 = [[African American Migration]]
| FS_URL_11 = [[African American Archives and Libraries]]
| FS_URL_12 =
| RW_URL_01 =[http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1997/summer/freedmens-bureau-records.html NARA Freedmen's Bureau Records: An Overview]
| RW_URL_02 =[http://www.archives.gov/atlanta/finding-aids/freedmens-bureau.pdf NARA A Genealogical Finding Aid]
| RW_URL_03 =[http://mappingthefreedmensbureau.com/maps/ Mapping the Freedmen's Bureau]
| RW_URL_04 =[http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/fssppubs.htm Publications of the Freedmen and Southern Society Project] 
| RW_URL_05 =[http://freedmensbureau.com/ The Freedmen's Bureau Online]. Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands.
| RW_URL_06 =[https://informationwanted.org/ Last Seen: Finding Families After Slavery]
| RW_URL_07 =[http://amistadresearchcenter.tulane.edu/archon/?p=collections/findingaid&id=19&q= American Missionary Association Archives Tulane University]
|RW_URL_08  =[http://www.masshist.org/collection-guides/view/fa0423 New England Freedmen's Aid Society Records Massachusetts Historical Society]
|RW_URL_09 = [https://lastroadtofreedom.org/ Last Road to Freedom]
|RW_URL_10 = [http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/nyhs/southernfamrelief/ Guide to the Southern Famine Relief Commission Records 1867-1868 New York Historical Society Museum & Library]
}}
 
== What is in This Collection?  ==
The collection consists of images of the records of the Superintendent of Education and the Education Division of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (often called the Freedmen’s Bureau). Most of the collection will consist of monthly teacher reports and monthly reports of the sub-assistant commissioner or agents.  The event date is the date the report was completed either by the teacher or agent. Reports can also identify the name and location of schools as well as the society sponsoring a teacher. The following link will provide a description of the record types found in this and other Freedmen's Bureau collections. [[Freedmen's Bureau Record Types]] 
 
This collection corresponds with the following NARA microfilm publications:
*'''Records of the Superintendent of Education for the state of:'''
 
*Alabama, M810: Rolls 1, 4-8
*Arkansas, M980: Roll 5 [http://www.archives.gov/research/microfilm/m980.pdf National Archives Pamphlet M980]
*District of Columbia, M1056: Rolls 12-24 [http://www.archives.gov/research/microfilm/m1056.pdf National Archives Pamphlet M1056]
*Georgia, M799: Rolls 16-28 [http://www.archives.gov/research/microfilm/m799.pdf National Archives Pamphlet M799]
*Louisiana, M1026: Rolls 3-12 [http://www.archives.gov/research/microfilm/m1026.pdf National Archives Pamphlet M1026]
*North Carolina, M844: Rolls 13-15 [http://www.archives.gov/research/microfilm/m844.pdf National Archives Pamphlet M844]
*Tennessee, M1000: Rolls 6-9 [http://www.archives.gov/research/microfilm/m1000.pdf National Archives Pamphlet M1000]
*Texas, M822: Rolls 11-18 [http://www.archives.gov/research/microfilm/m822.pdf National  Archives Pamphlet M822]
*Virginia, M1053: Rolls 11-20 [http://www.archives.gov/research/microfilm/m1053.pdf National Archives Pamphlet M1053] 
*Records of the Education Division, M803: 15-35 [http://www.archives.gov/research/microfilm/m803.pdf National Archives Pamphlet M803]
 
*'''Related National Archives Collection'''
*[https://catalog.archives.gov/id/2548470 Contracts for the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, March 1867–August 1870 (Department of the Treasury. Office of the Second Comptroller) RG 217, NAID 2548470]


[[Image:United_States.png|right|200px|]]
''' Related Publications'''
*[https://archive.org/details/manualonschoolho00chas/page/n5/mode/2up C. Thurston Chase, ''Schoolhouses. Manual on School- Houses and Cottages for People of the South.'' Washington: Government Printing Office, 1868] Internet Archive
*Jonathan W. White and Lydia J. Davis, eds. ''My Work Among the Freedmen: The Civil War and Reconstruction Letters of Harriet Buss.'' University of Virginia Press, 2021.


== Record Description ==
*'''Semi-annual reports on schools for freedmen'''
*Schools and Finances of Freedmen
*January 1st, 1866, First
*July 2nd, 1866, Second
*'''Schools for Freedmen'''
*January 1st, 3rd, 1867
*July 1st, 4th, 1867
*[https://archive.org/details/fifthsemiannualr00alvo John Watson Alvord. 1807-1880; United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands Fifth semi-annual report on schools for freedmen: January 1, 1868. Washington: Government Printing Office,1868].
*July 1st, 6th, 1868
*January 1st, 7th, 1869
*July 1st, 8th, 1869
*[https://archive.org/details/ninthsemiannualr00alvo John Watson Alvord 1807-1880. United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands Ninth semi-annual report on schools for freedmen: January 1, 1870.Washington: Government Printing Office, 1870.]
*July 1st, 9th, 1870


The collection consists of images of the records of the Superintendent of Education and the Education Division of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (often called the Freedmen’s Bureau).  
=== General Information about Freedmen's Bureau Records  ===
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was established in the War Department in March of 1865. It was commonly called the Freedman’s Bureau and was responsible for the management and supervision of matters relating to refuges, freedmen, and abandoned lands. The Bureau assisted disenfranchised Americans, primarily African Americans, with temporal, legal and financial matters, with the intent of helping people to become self-sufficient. Matters handled included the distributing of food and clothing; operating temporary medical facilities; acquiring back pay, bounty payments, and pensions; facilitating the creation of schools, including the founding of Howard University; reuniting family members; handling marriages; and providing banking services. Banking services were provided by the establishment of the Freedman’s Saving and Trust Company, or Freedman’s Bank. <br><br>
The Bureau functioned as an agency of the War Department from approximately June 1865 until December 1868. In 1872, the functions of the Bureau were transferred to the Freedmen’s Branch of the Adjutant General’s Office.<br> <br>
The Bureau assisted over one million African Americans, including many of the nearly four million emancipated slaves, which was over 25% of the population of former slaves in America. <br><br>
The records identify those who sought help from the Bureau at the end of the Civil War. Most supplicants were freed slaves, some of which were military veterans. In addition, a few veterans who were not African Americans also sought help from the Bureau. Freedmen’s Bureau records are usually reliable, because the records were supplied through first-person correspondence or the recording of a marriage.


The bureau was created in 1865 at the end of the American Civil War to supervise relief efforts including education, health care, food and clothing, refugee camps, legalization of marriages, employment, labor contracts, and securing back pay, bounty payments and pensions. These records include letters and endorsements sent and received, account books, applications for rations, applications for relief, court records, labor contracts, registers of bounty claimants, registers of complaints, registers of contracts, registers of disbursements, registers of freedmen issued rations, registers of patients, reports, rosters of officers and employees, special and general orders and circulars received, special orders and circulars issued, records relating to claims, court trials, property restoration, and homesteads.  
=== National Museum of African American History & Culture ===
The museum is working with the Smithsonian Transcription Center and volunteers to transcribe the records of the Bureau.
*[https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/initiatives/freedmens-bureau-records Freedmen's Bureau Transcription Project.]
*[https://nmaahc.si.edu/about-freedmens-bureau-database-records About The Freedmen's Bureau Database Records]
*[https://transcription.si.edu/node/92 FREEDMEN'S BUREAU ABBREVIATIONS, STAFF ROSTERS, AND STYLE SHEETS]
*[https://transcription.si.edu/browse?filter=owner%3A16 Freedmen's Bureau - Browse Projects]


This collection corresponds with the following NARA microfilm publications: Alabama, M810; Arkansas, M980; District of Columbia, M1056; Georgia, M799; Louisiana, M1026; North Carolina, M844; Tennessee, M1000; Texas, M822; Virginia, M1053; and Records of the Education Division, M803.
{{HR Add}}
=== Index and Image Visibility ===
{{Image Visibility}}


=== To Browse This Collection ===
{{Collection_Browse_Link
{{Collection_Browse_Link
|CID=CID2427894
|CID=CID2427894
|title=United States, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education, 1865-1872
|title=United States, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education, 1865-1872
}}  
}}
 
== Record Content  ==
 
<gallery perrow="3" heights="120px" widths="160px" caption="United States, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education">
Image:United States, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education (14-1367) Appointment Request DGS 7675837_76.jpg|Appointment Request
Image:United States, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education (14-1367) Letter of Appointment DGS 7675822_87.jpg|Letter of Appointment
Image:United States, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education (14-1367) Teacher's Monthly Report DGS 7675829_49.jpg|Teacher's Monthly Report
</gallery>


== What Can These Records Tell Me?==
The Bureau was created in 1865 at the end of the American Civil War to supervise relief efforts including:
{{columns-list|2|
*Education
*Health care
*Food and clothing
*Refugee camps
*Legalization of marriages
*Employment
*Labor contracts
*Securing back pay
*Bounty payments
*Pensions
}}
These records include:
{{columns-list|3|
*Letters and endorsements sent and received
*Account books
*Applications for rations
*Applications for relief
*Court records
*Labor contracts
*Registers of bounty claimants
*Registers of complaints
*Registers of contracts
*Registers of disbursements
*Registers of freedmen issued rations
*Registers of patients
*Reports
*Rosters of officers and employees
*Special and general orders and circulars received
*Special orders and circulars issued
*Records relating to claims
*Court trials
*Property restoration
*Homesteads
}}
The information varies by document. You may find any of the following:  
The information varies by document. You may find any of the following:  
*Name of the freedman  
*Name of the freedman  
*Name of the freedman’s former owner  
*Name of the freedman’s former owner  
Line 37: Line 151:
*Age  
*Age  
*Document dates
*Document dates
== Collection Content  ==
=== Sample Images ===
<gallery perrow="3" heights="120px" widths="160px">
Image:United States, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education (14-1367) Appointment Request DGS 7675837_76.jpg|1867 Appointment Request
Image:United States, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education (14-1367) Letter of Appointment DGS 7675822_87.jpg|1867 Letter of Appointment
Image:United States, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education (14-1367) Teacher's Monthly Report DGS 7675829_49.jpg|1866 Teacher's Monthly Report
</gallery>


== How to Use the Records  ==
''' Record Types '''


To begin your search it is helpful to know
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (often called the Freedmen’s Bureau)  created many different record types necessary to supervise relief efforts including education, health care, food and clothing, refugee camps, legalization of marriages, employment, labor contracts, and securing back pay, bounty payments and pensions. These records include letters and endorsements sent and received, account books, applications for rations, applications for relief, court records, labor contracts, registers of bounty claimants, registers of complaints, registers of contracts, registers of disbursements, registers of freedmen issued rations, registers of patients, reports, rosters of officers and employees, special and general orders and circulars received, special orders and circulars issued, records relating to claims, court trials, property restoration, and homesteads.
* The following link will provide a description of the record types found in this and other Freedmen’s Bureau collections.[[Freedmen's Bureau Record Types]]


*The name of your ancestor
''' Officer's Manual'''
*Identifying information such as name of spouse, age birthplace or residence


=== Searching the Collection  ===
The War Department published an Officer's Manual  to assist bureau personnel in the records that were required to be keep in bureau offices.
*[[United States, National Archives, Freedmen's Bureau, Officer's Manual]]
The following Wiki articles are transcriptions of portions of the manual
*[[US, NARA, Freedmen's Bureau, Officer's Manual - I, Book Keeping and Official Correspondence]]
*[[US, NARA, Freedmen's Bureau, Officer's Manual - IV, Medical Department]]
*[[US, NARA, Freedmen's Bureau, Officer's Manual - V, Subsistence]]
*[[US, NARA, Freedmen's Bureau, Officer's Manual - VI, Miscellaneous Provisions]] - Includes Reports from Assistant Commissioners


'''To browse by image:'''<br>To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links:<br>⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page:<br> ⇒Select the appropriate” Education Division or State <br> ⇒Select the appropriate "NARA Roll Number Film Notes”  <br>  which will take you to the images.  
== How Do I Search This Collection? ==
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
*The name of your ancestor
*The approximate age of your ancestor
*The place where your ancestor lived
*The name of the former slave owner
*Locate your ancestor in the 1870 Census.  Most local Bureau activities ended (except from claims and education) in December 1868.
*Check the records of the local field office in the area(s) where you believe your ancestor lived between June 1865 and December 1868.
*Determine, if possible, the name of the former owner. The 1860 Slave Schedule may be helpful. Also consider searching the 1860 and 1870 Agriculture Schedules.
*The Bureau created many different types of records. Review the record types in the Collection Content section in this article.
*While searching Bureau records remember to search other records of the local government, including marriage and court records and especially the 1867 or later voter registrations.
*Consider ancestors who may have been employed as a civilian agent or served as local agent while still in the military. Look for statewide rosters of bureau personnel in the records of Assistant Commissioners. Others may have worked with aid associations or taught school supported by aid associations in the north.
* Freedmen would have determined what their name would be and may have changed it multiple times.  


Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
=== Search the Index ===
 
{{Search Collection Link
*There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
| CID=CID2427894
*You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
}}
*Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.
=== View the Images ===
 
{{View_Images_Link | CID = 2427894
=== Using the Information  ===
| browse_1 = Education Division or State
 
| browse_2 = NARA Roll Number Film Notes
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:
| browse_3 = 
 
| browse_4 =
*Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
| browse_5 =   
*Use the names, ages, and residence to search the census records.
| browse_6 =  }}
 
{{HR Tip|More images are available in the FamilySearch Catalog at [https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/2427894 United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education, 1865-1872]. Some catalog records link to multiple references. In this case, click on a reference to find a camera icon to see images.}}
=== Tips to Keep in Mind  ===
=== How Do I Analyze the Results? ===  
 
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a [[Use_Appropriate_Forms#Prepare_a_Research_Log |research log]].
*Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives.
*When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
*You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination.
*Be aware that your ancestor may have used more than one name during their lifetime.
 
=== Unable to Find Your Ancestor? ===
 
*Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 
=== Additional Information About These Records ===
 
The Freedmen’s Bureau records are a major source of genealogical information about post Civil War African Americans. They are also a good source to quickly identify a family group and residence. Use the place of residence, age, and other information for each person to search for the individuals in census records and other types of records.
 
The [[African American Freedman's Savings and Trust Company Records|Freedmen’s Bank Records]] are the most commonly known records created by the Freedmen’s Bureau and have also been described separately.
 
The original records are preserved at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. Copies of the original records are available at the National Archives Building in Washington D.C. and the regional archives located in Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington State. The records were microfilmed in 2001 the microfilms are available at the Family History Library.  
 
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was established in the War Department in March of 1865. It was commonly called the Freedman’s Bureau and was responsible for the management and supervision of matters relating to refuges, freedmen, and abandoned lands. The Bureau assisted disenfranchised Americans, primarily African Americans, with temporal, legal and financial matters, with the intent of helping people to become self-sufficient. Matters handled included the distributing of food and clothing; operating temporary medical facilities; acquiring back pay, bounty payments, and pensions; facilitating the creation of schools, including the founding of Howard University; reuniting family members; handling marriages; and providing banking services. Banking services were provided by the establishment of the Freedman’s Saving and Trust Company, or Freedman’s Bank.
 
The Bureau functioned as an agency of the War Department from approximately June 1865 until December 1868. In 1872, the functions of the Bureau were transferred to the Freedmen’s Branch of the Adjutant General’s Office.
 
The Bureau assisted over one million African Americans, including many of the nearly four million emancipated slaves, which was over 25% of the population of former slaves in America.  
 
The records identify those who sought help from the Bureau at the end of the Civil War. Most supplicants were freed slaves, some of which were military veterans. In addition, a few veterans who were not African Americans also sought help from the Bureau.
 
Freedmen’s Bureau records are usually reliable, because the records were supplied through first-person correspondence or the recording of a marriage.  
 
== Related FamilySearch Historical Records Collection Articles  ==
 
*[[Alabama, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[Arkansas, Field Offices Records of the Freedmen's Bureau (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[District of Columbia, Freedmen's Bureau Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[Georgia, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[Kentucky, Freedmen's Bureau Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[Louisiana, Freedmen's Bureau Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[Mississippi, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[Missouri, Freedmen's Bureau Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[North Carolina, Freedmen Bureau Field Office Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[South Carolina, Freedmen Bureau Field Office Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[Tennessee, Freedmen's Bureau Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[Texas, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[Virginia, Freedmen's Bureau Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[United States Freedmen’s Branch Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Assistant Commissioner (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*[[United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Commissioner (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
 
== Related Websites  ==
 
*[http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1997/summer/freedmens-bureau-records.html NARA Freedmen's Bureau Records: An Overview]
*[http://www.archives.gov/atlanta/finding-aids/freedmens-bureau.pdf NARA A Genealogical Finding Aid]
*[http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/fssppubs.htm Publications of the Freedmen and Southern Society Project]
*[http://freedmensbureau.com/ The Freedmen's Bureau Online]. Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands.
*[http://suffolk.libguides.com/content.php?pid=117960&sid=1828859 Suffolk University,Boston]
*[http://amistadresearchcenter.tulane.edu/archon/?p=collections/findingaid&id=19&q= American Missionary Association Archives Tulane University]
 
== Related Wiki Articles  ==
 
*[[African American Freedmen's Bureau Records]]
*[[Quick Guide to African American Records]]
*[[African American Research]]
 
== How You Can Contribute  ==


{{Contributor_invite}}
== What Do I Do Next? ==
=== I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now? ===
*Add any new information to your records
*Use the place of residence, age, and other information for each person to search for the individuals in census records
*Use the information found to search for:
**Church records
**Land and probate records
**Additional state and county records
=== I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now? ===
*There may be more than one person in the records with the same name
*Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
*Look for another index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
*Search the indexes and records of nearby counties
*Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor
*Former slaves may have had used multiple names or changed their names until they decided upon one particular name. Search all possible names along with variations or spellings of their known names
=== Research Helps ===
The following articles will help you research your family in [[United States Genealogy|the United States]].
* [[GuidedResearch:United States|United States Guided Research]]
* [[United States Record Finder]]
* [[United States Research Tips and Strategies]]
== Other FamilySearch Collections ==
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.
=== FamilySearch Catalog ===
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/722504 Paula K. Byers, ed. ''African American genealogical sourcebook'' New York, New York : Gale Research, c1995 FS Library 973 F27afg] See pages 68-98
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/829837 Dee Parmer Woodtor, ''Finding a place called home : a guide to African-American genealogy and historical identity'' New York, New York : Random House, c1999 FS Library 973 F2wd] See chapter 8
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/4440734 George R. Bentley, ''A history of the Freedmen's Bureau.'' Reprint. Philadelphia, PA : University of Pennsylvania, 1955. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : University of Pennsylvania, 2016 FS Library Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : University of Pennsylvania, 2016. FS Library 973.714 F875b]
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/3416545 edited by Richard Zuczek, ''Encyclopedia of the Reconstruction Era.'' 2 volumes. Westport, Connecticut : Greenwood Press, ©2006 FS Library 973 N26z ]
*[https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/722586 ''The fire of liberty in their hearts: the diary of Jacob E. Yoder of the Freedmen's Bureau School, Lynchburg, Virginia, 1866-1870'']
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/83202 Rupert Sargent Holland, edited, ''Letters and diary of Laura M. Towne; written from the Sea Islands of South Carolina, 1862-1884'' Cambridge at the Riverside Press, 1912 Reprint. " New York, New York : Negro Universities Press, 1969 FS Library 921.73 T661t]
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/479251 Correspondence & school reports, 1865-1871 Superintendent of Education for the state of Arkansas]
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/3461406 Margo Lee Williams, ''From Hill Town to Strieby : education and the American Missionary Association in the Uwharrie "Back Country" of Randolph County, North Carolina'' Crofton, Kentucky : Backintyme Publishing, 2016 FS Library 975.661 D2w]
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/2562476 Clifton H. Johnson, ''American Missionary Association archives as a source for the study of American history'' New York : American Missionary Association and the Division of Higher Education of the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries,1964?]
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1921168 Virginia Historical Society. Virginia, Richmond, Chimborazo School records, 1868-1869]


==Citations for This Collection==
=== FamilySearch Historical Records ===
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image. <br>
*{{RecordSearch|2431126|United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Commissioner, 1865-1872}}
*{{RecordSearch|2427901|United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Assistant Commissioner, 1865-1872}}
*{{RecordSearch|1417695|United States, Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874}}
*{{RecordSearch|1438024|United States Census, 1870}}
*[[Alabama, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
*[[Arkansas, Field Offices Records of the Freedmen's Bureau - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
*[[District of Columbia, Freedmen's Bureau Records - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
*[[Georgia, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
*[[Louisiana, Freedmen's Bureau Records - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
*[[North Carolina, Freedmen Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
*[[Tennessee, Freedmen's Bureau Records - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
*[[Texas, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
*[[Virginia, Freedmen's Bureau Records - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
=== FamilySearch Digital Library ===
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/702586  Elaine Everly, Willna Pacheli, comp. ''Preliminary inventory of the records of the field offices of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands : record group 105.''Washington, D.C. : National Archives and Records Service, 1973.]
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/2021516 ''Officers' manual : Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands.'' (Washington, 1866)]
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/2562476 Clifton H. Johnson, ''American Missionary Association archives as a source for the study of American history'' New York : American Missionary Association and the Division of Higher Education of the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries,1964?]
*[https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/572795 ''Minutes of the Freedmen's Convention Held in the City of Raleigh, on the 2nd, 3rd,4th and 5th, of October, 1866'' Raleigh: Standard Book and Job Office, 1866]


'''Collection Citation''':<br> {{Collection citation | text= "United States, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education, 1865-1872." Images. <i>FamilySearch</i>. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2016. Citing National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.}}<br><br>
== Citing This Collection ==
 
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.
'''Image Citation''':<br> {{Image Citation Link
{{Collection citation}}
|CID=CID2427894
{{Record_Citation}}
|title=United States, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education, 1865-1872
{{Image_Citation}}
}}
[[Category:NARA_Freedmen's_Bureau Records]]
[[pt:Estados Unidos, Agência de Libertos, Registros do Superintendente da Educação e da Divisão de Educação (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)]]

Latest revision as of 15:23, 23 April 2024

United States

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United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education, 1865-1872
CID2427894
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This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org.

United States
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Record Description
Record Type Monthly Teacher Reports and Monthly Reports of the Sub-Assistant Commissioner or Agents
Record Group RG 105: Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
Collection years 1865-1872
National Archives Identifier 434
FamilySearch Resources
Related Websites
Archive
National Archives and Records Administration


What is in This Collection?

The collection consists of images of the records of the Superintendent of Education and the Education Division of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (often called the Freedmen’s Bureau). Most of the collection will consist of monthly teacher reports and monthly reports of the sub-assistant commissioner or agents. The event date is the date the report was completed either by the teacher or agent. Reports can also identify the name and location of schools as well as the society sponsoring a teacher. The following link will provide a description of the record types found in this and other Freedmen's Bureau collections. Freedmen's Bureau Record Types

This collection corresponds with the following NARA microfilm publications:

  • Records of the Superintendent of Education for the state of:

Related Publications

General Information about Freedmen's Bureau Records

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was established in the War Department in March of 1865. It was commonly called the Freedman’s Bureau and was responsible for the management and supervision of matters relating to refuges, freedmen, and abandoned lands. The Bureau assisted disenfranchised Americans, primarily African Americans, with temporal, legal and financial matters, with the intent of helping people to become self-sufficient. Matters handled included the distributing of food and clothing; operating temporary medical facilities; acquiring back pay, bounty payments, and pensions; facilitating the creation of schools, including the founding of Howard University; reuniting family members; handling marriages; and providing banking services. Banking services were provided by the establishment of the Freedman’s Saving and Trust Company, or Freedman’s Bank.

The Bureau functioned as an agency of the War Department from approximately June 1865 until December 1868. In 1872, the functions of the Bureau were transferred to the Freedmen’s Branch of the Adjutant General’s Office.

The Bureau assisted over one million African Americans, including many of the nearly four million emancipated slaves, which was over 25% of the population of former slaves in America.

The records identify those who sought help from the Bureau at the end of the Civil War. Most supplicants were freed slaves, some of which were military veterans. In addition, a few veterans who were not African Americans also sought help from the Bureau. Freedmen’s Bureau records are usually reliable, because the records were supplied through first-person correspondence or the recording of a marriage.

National Museum of African American History & Culture

The museum is working with the Smithsonian Transcription Center and volunteers to transcribe the records of the Bureau.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Index and Image Visibility

Whenever possible FamilySearch makes images and indexes available for all users. However, rights to view these data are limited by contract and subject to change. Because of this there may be limitations on where and how images and indexes are available or who can see them. Please be aware some collections consist only of partial information indexed from the records and do not contain any images. For additional information about image restrictions see Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections.

To Browse This Collection

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for United States, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education, 1865-1872.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The Bureau was created in 1865 at the end of the American Civil War to supervise relief efforts including:

  • Education
  • Health care
  • Food and clothing
  • Refugee camps
  • Legalization of marriages
  • Employment
  • Labor contracts
  • Securing back pay
  • Bounty payments
  • Pensions

These records include:

  • Letters and endorsements sent and received
  • Account books
  • Applications for rations
  • Applications for relief
  • Court records
  • Labor contracts
  • Registers of bounty claimants
  • Registers of complaints
  • Registers of contracts
  • Registers of disbursements
  • Registers of freedmen issued rations
  • Registers of patients
  • Reports
  • Rosters of officers and employees
  • Special and general orders and circulars received
  • Special orders and circulars issued
  • Records relating to claims
  • Court trials
  • Property restoration
  • Homesteads

The information varies by document. You may find any of the following:

  • Name of the freedman
  • Name of the freedman’s former owner
  • Date of the record
  • Birthplace
  • Residence
  • Age
  • Document dates

Collection Content

Sample Images

  • 1867 Appointment Request

    1867 Appointment Request

  • 1867 Letter of Appointment

    1867 Letter of Appointment

  • 1866 Teacher's Monthly Report

    1866 Teacher's Monthly Report

Record Types

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (often called the Freedmen’s Bureau) created many different record types necessary to supervise relief efforts including education, health care, food and clothing, refugee camps, legalization of marriages, employment, labor contracts, and securing back pay, bounty payments and pensions. These records include letters and endorsements sent and received, account books, applications for rations, applications for relief, court records, labor contracts, registers of bounty claimants, registers of complaints, registers of contracts, registers of disbursements, registers of freedmen issued rations, registers of patients, reports, rosters of officers and employees, special and general orders and circulars received, special orders and circulars issued, records relating to claims, court trials, property restoration, and homesteads.

  • The following link will provide a description of the record types found in this and other Freedmen’s Bureau collections.Freedmen's Bureau Record Types

Officer's Manual

The War Department published an Officer's Manual to assist bureau personnel in the records that were required to be keep in bureau offices.

The following Wiki articles are transcriptions of portions of the manual

How Do I Search This Collection?

Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:

  • The name of your ancestor
  • The approximate age of your ancestor
  • The place where your ancestor lived
  • The name of the former slave owner
  • Locate your ancestor in the 1870 Census. Most local Bureau activities ended (except from claims and education) in December 1868.
  • Check the records of the local field office in the area(s) where you believe your ancestor lived between June 1865 and December 1868.
  • Determine, if possible, the name of the former owner. The 1860 Slave Schedule may be helpful. Also consider searching the 1860 and 1870 Agriculture Schedules.
  • The Bureau created many different types of records. Review the record types in the Collection Content section in this article.
  • While searching Bureau records remember to search other records of the local government, including marriage and court records and especially the 1867 or later voter registrations.
  • Consider ancestors who may have been employed as a civilian agent or served as local agent while still in the military. Look for statewide rosters of bureau personnel in the records of Assistant Commissioners. Others may have worked with aid associations or taught school supported by aid associations in the north.
  • Freedmen would have determined what their name would be and may have changed it multiple times.

Search the Index

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.
  1. Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know
  2. Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images

View images in this collection by visiting the Collection Browse Page:
  1. Select Education Division or State
  2. Select NARA Roll Number Film Notes to view the images
Tip
 More images are available in the FamilySearch Catalog at United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education, 1865-1872. Some catalog records link to multiple references. In this case, click on a reference to find a camera icon to see images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?

Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

  • Add any new information to your records
  • Use the place of residence, age, and other information for each person to search for the individuals in census records
  • Use the information found to search for:
    • Church records
    • Land and probate records
    • Additional state and county records

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

  • There may be more than one person in the records with the same name
  • Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
  • Look for another index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
  • Search the indexes and records of nearby counties
  • Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor
  • Former slaves may have had used multiple names or changed their names until they decided upon one particular name. Search all possible names along with variations or spellings of their known names

Research Helps

The following articles will help you research your family in the United States.

Other FamilySearch Collections

These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

FamilySearch Historical Records

FamilySearch Digital Library

Citing This Collection

Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Collection Citation:
The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection.
Record Citation:
When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information.
Image Citation:
When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen.
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