The Freedmen’s Bureau Search Portal is a search engine where you, historians, and genealogists can search through records within the Freedmen’s Bureau.

What Is The Freedmen’s Bureau?

The Freedmen’s Bureau, formerly known as The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, was established in the War Department by Congress on March 3, 1865. The bureau was created to help formerly enslaved people transition from slavery to a life of freedom by providing health benefits, clothing, marriage registrations, and other resources. As the Freedmen’s Bureau aged it also was a place that assisted Black soldiers and sailors in back pay, bounty payments, and pensions. Thanks to the record taking during the length of the Freedmen’s Bureau, there is a plethora of data around the lifestyles of African Americans during slavery and Reconstruction.

How To Use The Portal?

Step 1: Access the portal/search engine. You can access the portal on the National Museum of African American History and Culture via The Freedmen’s Bureau Search Portal.

Step 2: Use the search engine. You can use the search engine to search one or more criteria at once. You can search the portal by text, location, name, date, NARA publication, and transcription.

Will you be using the Freedmen’s Bureau for your research?

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