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United States, Maryland and Delaware, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records: Difference between revisions
United States, Maryland and Delaware, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records (view source)
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== Record Content == | == Record Content == | ||
== How to Use the Record == | <gallery perrow="2" heights="120px" widths="180px"> | ||
Image:North Carolina Freedmen's Bureau Index (09-0472) DGS 4567385 43.jpg|Index Freedmen's Bureau Letters | |||
Image:North Carolina Freedmen's Bureau Letter (09-0472) DGS 4567385 351.jpg |Freedmen's Bureau Letter | |||
</gallery> | |||
The following important genealogical information is often found in Bureau records: | |||
*Name of the freedman | |||
*Name of the freedman’s former owner | |||
*Date of the record | |||
*Birthplace | |||
*Residence | |||
*Age | |||
*Bride | |||
*Groom | |||
*Marriage date | |||
*Marriage place | |||
== How to Use the 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. | |||
== Record History == | |||
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.<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. | |||
=== Why the Record Was Created === | |||
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. | |||
=== Record Reliability === | |||
Freedmen’s Bureau records are usually reliable, because the records were supplied through first-person correspondence or the recording of a marriage. | |||
== Related Websites == | == Related Websites == | ||
[http://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/index.html National Archives Resources for Genealogists] | *[http://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/index.html National Archives Resources for Genealogists] | ||
*[http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/fssppubs.htm Publications of the Freedmen and Southern Society Project] | |||
== Related Wiki Articles == | == Related Wiki Articles == | ||
[[United States Freedmen’s Bureau Letters (FamilySearch Historical Records)|United States Freedmen’s Bureau Letters (FamilySearch Historical Records)]] | *[[United States Freedmen’s Bureau Letters (FamilySearch Historical Records)|United States Freedmen’s Bureau Letters (FamilySearch Historical Records)]] | ||
*[[African American Freedmen's Bureau Records|African American Freedmen’s Bureau Records]] | |||
*[[Quick Guide to African American Records|Quick Guide to African American Records]] | |||
*[[African American Research|African American Research]] | |||
== Citing Family Search Historical Collections == | == Citing Family Search Historical Collections == | ||