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.

The Radical Republicans, and the rest of Congress, were the ones who passed most of the bills for Reconstruction, because of their ability to override the president with their majority. They expanded the Freedmen's Bureau, which did show some progress in the helping of former slaves and poor white men. The Freedmen’s Bureau set up hospitals, schools, and also gave out supplies. This achieved the enablement of former slaves having the right to free education. Later on, however, the Freedmen’s Bureau became neglected, and was often forgotten or overlooked. The Freedmen’s Bureau is accurately described in this following statement, “This auspicious beginning belied the great disappointments that lay ahead,” (CITE TEXTBOOK).

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 Union went on to win the Civil War, maintain the union and abolish slavery. Problem solved right? Well, not quite. In fact, America’s problems had only just begun.  After the Civil War, the country needed to be reconstructed for a few reasons. First of all, much of the Confederate land was now wrecked, with farms and plantations burned down and crops destroyed. People were using now illegitimate confederate money and local governments were in disarray. Former confederates needed to be effectively incorporated back into the Union. Most importantly, slaves were now freedmen and needed to be integrated back into society. The United States was a “new nation,” that, for the first time was “wholly free” (Foner 477). But with the abolishment of slavery, “What is the true definition of freedom?” became a central question in the nation. Black people in America after the war were facing intense scrutiny, racist ideologies and bigotry that was still very prevalent throughout the country. In 1865, Congressman James A. Garfield asked, “Is it the bare privilege of not being chained? If this is all, then freedom is a bitter mockery, a cruel delusion” (Foner 477). Was freedom simply just the absence of slavery, or did it give other rights to former slaves?

From this time on through the south, Freedmen didn’t wanted to go to white churches so they made their own and they even did their own schools. They could now do what they wanted like learn to read and have their kids to learn to read. When masters no longer were master and slaves were no longer, In “The Late Convention of Colored Men” (1865). Former slaves asked the federal government for security and assistance now that they were free. This was because it was it primary concern in order to sustain life. Also it was important for them to own land so they wouldn’t be workers anymore. On the other hand, the Mississippi Black Code (1865). Created by the white Mississippian’s who strictly made labor contracts by which slaves had to sign or they will be arrested and they would also be hired out to white landowners. However it did grant freedmen the right to legally marry, own land and limit access to court. Freedmen and Frederick Douglas were demanding on the antislavery society it was a shout out, Douglas was afraid that a lot much had to be done. Another agency helping the freedmen and after the civil war was the freedmen’s

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.

Social differences in the Unites States were just intensifying as more and more freed slaves wanted and protested for their rights. The Freedmen's Bureau caused northerners to enrage and military officers had to stop northerners from attacking free slaves and preventing war another war. This document allowed southerners to go to the north with the opportunity to get food, housing, medical aid, and go to school, however, the northerners did not let the former slaves live in peace to exercise their rights. Unfortunately for the freed slaves, the Freedmen's Bureau was prevented from fully carrying out program due to the shortage of funds and was shut down in 1872 under pressure from white southerners. The North continued to enforce their power

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

They had no clue on what they did to deserve such violence. “We wish to do right, obey the laws and live in peace and quietude but when we are assaulted at the midnight hour, our lives threatened and the laws fail to protect or assist us we can defend ourselves, let the consequences be what they may”, said a general from Calhoun. Black men, women and children thought they had been set free, they had laws to prove it, yet the white man ruled all, they were in control and weren’t backing down for the African American race. As time went on and the daydream of the frightening war played through the blacks’ heads, there were white men trying to get the African Americans a spot below the white Americans.

After the Civil War the freedmen had no idea on how to survive in the world. They had no food or shelter, or couldn’t even find a job. Blacks would go to union lines for protection, considering themselves as dependent on the Federal Government for their existence, just like they were with their masters. Others, would be hired by Unionist plantation owners to work for them for low pay, and others in the Western theater were sent to lands for subsistence farming. Not to mention that, others would sign up and join the military. . To help the freedmen, on March 4, 1865 the “Freedmen’s Bureau” was created. This act was established to help former slaves settle down to establish a better lifestyle. Congress only permitted this Act for just a year,

The book by Du Bois represents a collection of stories and sketches on the African-American life. It underlines the necessity to provide black people with the same rights and freedoms as white people have: a right to vote, to possess lands, to receive good education and to be free. The second chapter tells the story about the Freedmen's Bureau during the years of Reconstruction in the South after the Civil War. The issue

The United States Congress instituted the Freedmen’s Bureau which helped former slaves in the south in the aftermath of the Civil War, and an estimate of four million slaves were deemed free. The Freedmen’s Bureau provided food, housing and medical aid, and established schools and offered legal assistance.

The freemen faced many tough challenges and obstacles throughout their journey in discovering true freedom. Through the ratification of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, the freedmen were constantly on a roller coaster, being allowed more independence with every amendment, but in return, receiving double the restrictions. The blacks were rampaged by the South, “The South despised having African Americans free. Their plan was to reestablish the pre-civil war racial hierarchy in which the whites dominated over blacks.” (From Lecture) Not only were the freedmen still forced to endure working conditions as if they were still captive slaves, they also needed to pay a tax in order to work, and rented land from planters, however, “The blacks had