United States, Freedman's Bank Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

= U.S. Freedman’s Bank Registers, 1865–1874 =

Collection History
The Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company was established and incorporated by an act of Congress on March 3, 1865, as a banking institution in Washington, D.C., primarily for the benefit of freed slaves and former African American military personnel. It was commonly called the Freedman’s Bank; however, it was not under the supervision of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (Freedmen’s Bureau).

The Registers of Signatures of Depositors in Branches of the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company contain the records of 29 branches of the Freedman’s Bank. The branches were located in the following cities:


 * Atlanta, Georgia
 * Augusta, Georgia
 * Baltimore, Maryland
 * Beaufort, South Carolina
 * Charleston, South Carolina
 * Columbus, Mississippi
 * Huntsville, Alabama
 * Lexington, Kentucky
 * Little Rock, Arkansas
 * Louisville, Kentucky
 * Lynchburg, Virginia
 * Memphis, Tennessee
 * Mobile, Alabama
 * Nashville, Tennessee
 * Natchez, Mississippi
 * New Bern, North Carolina
 * New Orleans, Louisiana
 * New York, New York
 * Norfolk, Virginia
 * Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
 * Raleigh, North Carolina
 * Richmond, Virginia
 * Savannah, Georgia
 * Shreveport, Louisiana
 * St. Louis, Missouri
 * Tallahassee, Florida
 * Vicksburg, Mississippi
 * Washington, D.C.
 * Wilmington, North Carolina

In 1874, overwhelmed by the effects of the Panic of 1873, mismanagement, abuse, and fraud, the Freedman’s Bank closed. Congress appointed a three-member board and later the Comptroller of the Currency to oversee the affairs of the bank. The Comptroller was made commissioner ex officio, and he submitted annual reports to Congress. The Freedman’s Bank final report was made in 1920. Contrary to what many of its depositors were led to believe, the bank’s assets were not protected by the federal government. While half of the depositors eventually received about three-fifths of the value of their accounts, others received nothing. Well into the 20th century, some depositors and their heirs were still seeking reimbursement for the remaining portions of their accounts.

Why This Collection Was Created
The registers identify those who opened accounts. Because the Freedman’s Bank was required by law to protect the interests of depositors’ heirs, the branches collected an enormous amount of personal information about each depositor and his or her family when the account was opened.

Collection Description
Each register book consists of preprinted forms, with information for four depositors on each page. The registers are arranged chronologically by the date the account was established and then numerically by account number. Many numbers are missing, a few are out of order, and some blocks of numbers were never used. Many registers seem to be missing.

How To Use The Collection
Freedman’s Bank registers are a good source to quickly identify a family group and residence. Use a person’s birthplace, age, and place of residence to search for census and other record types. The bank records probably identify persons for whom other records do not exist.