On March 3, 1865, the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (also known as the Freedmen’s Bureau) was created by Congress, initially for one year. It was based in the federal War Department and staffed by both the military and civilians, including representatives from northern relief agencies. Assistant commissioners oversaw the bureau’s work in individual states.
The Freedmen’s Bureau began its work in Virginia in June 1865. Activities in Virginia included establishing hospitals and schools, providing rations, supervising the creation of labor contracts between freedmen and planters, and ensuring justice. Many African Americans wrote to the Freedmen’s Bureau seeking help with locating lost family members. In addition to freedmen and -women, the Freedmen’s Bureau helped poor white individuals and dealt with seized or abandoned land. It ceased most of its operations in Virginia on January 1, 1869, and on June 10, 1872, it was abolished by law.
The records of the field offices that document interactions between the Freedmen’s Bureau and individuals are the most helpful for genealogical research.
Although completely separate from the Freedmen’s Bureau, the Freedman’s Bank records can provide basic information about individuals as well. Created by Congress on March 3, 1865, the bank was based in Washington, D.C., and intended for freedmen. It failed in 1874.
Surviving registers provide biographical information on account holders, including place of birth; residences; age; names of employer, spouse, parents, and children; and military service. Early records may also include the name of a former enslaver.