Purpose Of The Freedmen's Bureau

The Freedmen Bureau was the federal institution in control of those terrains given to blacks and now they had to take it back. Under the administration of O. O. Howard the bureau functions were to "establish schools, provide aide to the poor and aged, settle disputes between whites and blacks and among freedpeople, and secure for former slave and white Unionist equal treatment before court," (Foner 483). The Bureau did not have enough agents to put in action the task appointed to it in the south. The Freedmen Bureau was dissolved after five years living the black man on its own.

Another important characteristic of the Reconstruction after the civil war was the creation of the Freedmen’s Bureau. Its responsibilities according to Foner (2014) were related with social work, “ Bureau agents were supposed to establish schools, provide aid to the poor and aged, settle disputes between whites and blacks and among the freedpeople, and secure for former slaves and white Unionists equal treatment before the courts” (p. 562) . Still, the Bureau lasted only until 1870, but made many achievements helping the black community.

Following the Civil War, America was in shambles. There were many groups with strong, conflicting ideas of how things should be. However, most groups had one idea in common: reducing the rights of African Americans as much as possible. Freed slaves had very little freedom under the law, were treated like a lesser species by those around them, and faced dangerous environments everywhere they went. Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation may have legally freed slaves, but African Americans were barely more than paid slaves.

They helped provide education for the freed African Americans. According to the Virginia Historical Society, they say, “they used their authority over former confederate properties to provide buildings for schools.” The Freedman’s Bureau wanted to make sure that African Americans had a proper education because they were deprived of education while they were growing up. The Virginia Historical Society says, “the Freedman’s Bureau, missionary associations, and African Americans themselves funded the schools; many of the mostly white, female teachers came from the south with the missionary associations.” The Bureau wanted this to be successful and with the help of the missionary associations and the African Americas to fund the schools, it would make it a reality. The Freedman’s Bureau did everything that they could to make sure the African

The Bureau was renewed by a Congressional bill in 1866 but was vetoed by President Andrew Johnson, who thought it was unconstitutional. Johnson was opposed to having the federal government secure black rights. Congress passed the bill over his veto. Southern whites were basically opposed to blacks having any rights at all, and the Bureau lacked military force to back up its authority as the army had been quickly disbanded and most of the soldiers assigned to the Western frontier. The Bureau was able to accomplish some of its goals, especially in the field of education. frontier. The Bureau was able to accomplish some of its goals, especially in the field of education.

By 1872, Congress voted to eradicate the bill. Eradicating the Bill demonstrates that the Northern bourgeoisie only wanted free labor but opposed to provide special privileges to the Blacks, which it was what the policy represented (Black Reconstruction in America 1860-1880). As the government eliminated any federal assistance to black community, the Jim Crow Laws emerged and blacks’ subjugation continued for almost a century. Jim Crow Laws were policies directed against Blacks in order to subordinate African American and maintain social control. Thus, the Civil War Reconstruction period was pointless because the government eliminated the any federal assistance to the blacks. Even though blacks became freedmen, the means of production were still controlled by whites. Without the means of productions, Freedmen could not produce which meant that they had to go back to their masters for jobs in order to survive. According to lecture about the Civil Rights, the National Association for the Advancement for Colored People was founded by W.E.B. Du bois in 1909 for the protection of

The creation of the Freedmen’s Bureau suggests a great deal about the South during the Reconstruction era of the United States. The Bureau was created to help emancipated slaves and refugees have some kind of access to land. Along with access to land, the Bureau itself was “empowered to distributes clothing, food, and fuel” to those who have become free men. In my opinion, I believe the creation of the Freedmen’s Bureau answered the question of citizenship in the sense that freedmen should be considered citizens right off the bat. Back then, owning property was a huge part of citizenship. By providing help with access to land, freedmen had the chance to become an equal citizen.

The newly freed men became scapegoats for the defeat of the South. The former slaves were a reminder of how much everything had changed after the war. Instead of working in the fields under white masters, they now competed for jobs with poor white farmers. The way that white southerners distinguished themselves from the freedmen was by the terrorism of the Klu Klux Klan (KKK). By joining the KKK a white southerner could take action backed by a large organization without fear of repercussions. At anytime the KKK could come to your door and hassle, berate, or even hang you simply because you were now free and had committed some tiny infraction. The testimony of Harriet Postle is a prime example that no freed person was safe. Her family committed no crime yet the KKK still burst down their door, and severely beat Mrs. Postle. The fact that she was around eight months pregnant didn’t deter the KKK from abusing her. Harriet Postle stated in her testimony that the KKK, “beat my head against the side of the house till I had no sense hardly left.” Now the freedmen lived in their own homes without a master, but any Klansman could come in and do what they pleased. Before the Civil War black men and women had no fear of the Klan because they didn’t exist. Now the newly freed person had the Klan breathing down their back along with the inability to assemble or go where they pleased.

“The Freedmen's Bureau” was created and placed under military supervision because Congress saw a need to defend Black settlers from racist White

2) Freedman’s Bureau: Congress created this in March of 1865 in order to provide help for thousands of poor black and white southerners uprooted by the fighting. They were educated in Freedman Schools, housed, and fed. “Plenty to eat, nothing to do” (pg. 404)

African American that became a Freedmen are now officially a full United States citizen, but now face with segregation from the white. The government however, help with these problem with the Freedmen Bureau program. The South’s reaction to the Reconstruction that were given out to the North however, felt that their land are being taken by the carpetbaggers from the North for their political and economic gained during the 1863 to 1877. The Reconstruction are still seen overall as both positive and negative because it has had it’s downfall and gain from it. The aftermath of Reconstruction however, allowed blacks many rights that they have never gotten before and it’s a good beginning to Americans and the country as a whole for ending the unholiness of

After the Civil War, Congress and the president set up a new government agency to help former freedmen. This new government agency was called by the name of the Freedmen’s Bureau. The Freedmen 's Bureau also was an agency to help former slaves adjust to freedom after the 13th Amendment ended slavery. Their purpose for running this agency was to give out clothes, foods, and medicines, which reduced the death rate of many African Americans. They also did many other things like create schools for African Americans, like Atlanta University,

The goal was to bring the south together while also protecting the African Americans. It was later in 1866 that the 14th amendment was passed recognizing everyone born or naturalized in the United States as a citizen. After this came the 15th amendment which allowed everyone to vote not just certain skin colors. Soon came about the Industrial era. At this point in history slaves were no longer used so the turn to the prisons. They were no labor laws when it came to convicts so of course the used the especially on jobs like coal mines and so on. Even through all that had gone on there was still a divide, segregation. Even though African Americans should have been treat like any other person was not the case. There were still many times that the African American easily punished or treated

Freedmen’s life was working on a farm growing crops to help his family survive, but the landowner of the property that the freedmen is working on takes a lot of his crops. With that the freedmen have to pay their landowner for all the fee’s that come along with getting that land which makes them in debt. These African Americans were hoping that one day they will turn out to have a better life, but in the end they were all going to owe the landowner money. Freedmen changes politically, and economically but not so much socially because slavery was abolished, yet upper class people made rules to go against it so because of that it only changes freedmen’s life a little bit.

During the time of Reconstruction, the federal government did little to help the people of America as a whole, they concentrated on bettering African American lives and “reconstructing” the South. The focus during this time period was to protect the rights of African Americans, which had long and hard been fought for. The federal government made it their priority to ensure equal rights among all black people. Also, the readmission of the Confederate states was essential to the federal