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Freedmen's Bureau, 1865–1872
The period following the Civil War, 1865–1877, is called the Reconstruction Era. One of the first acts of Congress during Reconstruction was to establish the Freedmen's Bureau on March 3, 1865. The bureau's work involved issuing food, clothing, and fuel to the destitute; providing help for people searching for missing family members; operating hospitals and homes; supervising labor contracts; officializing marriages between formerly enslaved people; and ensuring freedmen's rights. The bureau helped missionary societies in the North establish schools for former slaves. The bureau ceased most operations in 1868 and was abolished in 1872. |