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United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of Freedmen's Complaints - FamilySearch Historical Records: Difference between revisions
United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of Freedmen's Complaints - FamilySearch Historical Records (view source)
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The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (often called the Freedmen’s 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. The records are from the field office records of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland/Delaware, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. | The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (often called the Freedmen’s 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. The records are from the field office records of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland/Delaware, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. | ||
=== 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. | |||
=== Image Visibility === | === Image Visibility === | ||
{{Image Visibility}} | {{Image Visibility}} | ||
== What Can These Records Tell Me? == | == What Can These Records Tell Me? == | ||
The following information may be found in these records: | The following information may be found in these records: | ||
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*Final Action of Complaint Division | *Final Action of Complaint Division | ||
}} | }} | ||
== Collection Content == | == Collection Content == | ||
=== Sample Images === | === Sample Images === | ||
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*The place where your ancestor lived | *The place where your ancestor lived | ||
*The name of the former slave owner | *The name of the former slave owner | ||
=== Search the Index === | === Search the Index === | ||
{{Search Collection Link | {{Search Collection Link | CID=CID2492627 }} | ||
| CID=CID2492627 | |||
}} | |||
=== View the Images === | === View the Images === | ||
To view images in this collection: | To view images in this collection: | ||
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=== How Do I Analyze the Results? === | === 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]]. | 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]]. | ||
== What Do I Do Next? == | == What Do I Do Next? == | ||
===I Found the Person I was Looking For, What Now?=== | ===I Found the Person I was Looking For, What Now?=== | ||
*Use the information found to search for the family in census records | *Use the information found to search for the family in census records | ||
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*Use the information found to search for the family in land and probate records | *Use the information found to search for the family in land and probate records | ||
*Use the information found to search for the family in additional state and county records | *Use the information found to search for the family in additional state and county records | ||
=== I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now? === | === 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 | *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 variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names | ||
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*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 | *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 | *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 === | === Research Helps === | ||
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in [[United States Genealogy|the United States]]. | The following articles will help you in your research for your family in [[United States Genealogy|the United States]]. | ||
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* [[United States Record Finder]] | * [[United States Record Finder]] | ||
* [[United States Research Tips and Strategies|Research Tips and Strategies]] | * [[United States Research Tips and Strategies|Research Tips and Strategies]] | ||
== Citing This Collection == | == 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. | 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_Published}} | {{Collection_Published}} | ||
{{Record_Citation}} | {{Record_Citation}} | ||
{{Image_Citation}} | {{Image_Citation}} | ||
== How Can I Contribute to the FamilySearch Wiki? == | == How Can I Contribute to the FamilySearch Wiki? == | ||
{{Contributor_invite}} | {{Contributor_invite}} | ||