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

United States

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 National Archives Pamphlet M980
 * District of Columbia, M1056: Rolls 12-24 National Archives Pamphlet M1056
 * Georgia, M799: Rolls 16-28 National Archives Pamphlet M799
 * Louisiana, M1026: Rolls 3-12 National Archives Pamphlet M1026
 * North Carolina, M844: Rolls 13-15 National Archives Pamphlet M844
 * Tennessee, M1000: Rolls 6-9 National Archives Pamphlet M1000
 * Texas, M822: Rolls 11-18 National Archives Pamphlet M822
 * Virginia, M1053: Rolls 11-20 National Archives Pamphlet M1053
 * Records of the Education Division, M803: 15-35 National Archives Pamphlet M803


 * Related National Archives Collection
 * 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

 Related Publications
 * 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.


 * 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
 * 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
 * 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

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.
 * Freedmen's Bureau Transcription Project.
 * About The Freedmen's Bureau Database Records
 * FREEDMEN'S BUREAU ABBREVIATIONS, STAFF ROSTERS, AND STYLE SHEETS
 * Freedmen's Bureau - Browse Projects

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: • 2 These records include: • 3 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

Sample Images
 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
 * United States, National Archives, Freedmen's Bureau, Officer's 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

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 Agricultural 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.

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.

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.
 * 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

 * Paula K. Byers, ed. African American genealogical sourcebook New York, New York : Gale Research, c1995 FS Library 973 F27afg See pages 68-98
 * 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
 * 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
 * edited by Richard Zuczek, Encyclopedia of the Reconstruction Era. 2 volumes. Westport, Connecticut : Greenwood Press, ©2006 FS Library 973 N26z
 * The fire of liberty in their hearts: the diary of Jacob E. Yoder of the Freedmen's Bureau School, Lynchburg, Virginia, 1866-1870
 * 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
 * Correspondence & school reports, 1865-1871 Superintendent of Education for the state of Arkansas
 * 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
 * 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?

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * 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
 * 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

 * 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.
 * Officers' manual : Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. (Washington, 1866)
 * 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?
 * 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

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.

Estados Unidos, Agência de Libertos, Registros do Superintendente da Educação e da Divisão de Educação (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)