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September 29, 2016

The Freedmen’s Bureau and the Education of the Freedmen

In March of 1865, just before the ending of the Civil War, the Federal government created the Freedmen’s Bureau.1 Initially set up to help the roughly four million freed slaves, it also had provisions for helping poor white Southerners who were similarly destitute after the Civil War. In fact, the Freedmen’s Bureau was designed to help those in need throughout the South.

The Bureau had provided needed necessities that included clothing, food, shelter, and education. It also helped many freedmen gain land ownership. Congress had several reasons for creating this act, but the main purposes were to maintain abandoned lands  in the South and to provide education for the freed slaves.2 Most freedmen wanted to obtain an education so they could make a start with their newly found freedom. It is fairly difficult to start a successful life without an education; therefore the bureau helped them out in many ways.

The educational goals of the Freedmen’s Bureau were only partially met. By 1870, the Bureau managed to educate 200,000 students with a teaching staff of 9,000 in only 4,000 schools.3 By the time the Freedmen’s Bureau ended in 1876, more than half of white children and about 40 percent of colored students were attending school.3 One of the main contributors to the Freedmen’s Bureau was the American Missionary Association, which was an organization founded in September 1846.5 The Association wanted to abolish slavery and give African Americans an education. They supported equal rights for all races and they promoted Christian values. Between 1867 to 1870 the Freedmen’s Bureau allotted $243,753.22 from the Association for working with the freedmen and refugees. 6

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The Freedmen’s Bureau Office Of Lieut. S. Merrill, Superintendent Third District | Courtesy of Digitalcollections.nypl.org

However, obtaining an education was more difficult than expected, even with the support of the Freedmen’s Bureau. Although the Bureau supplied the accommodations needed for the education program, the white Southerns had other plans for the schools. Most white Southerners were resistant to the idea of letting African Americans obtain an education. They believed that the newly freed slaves would get a false hope of equality, or would aspire to live as equals with whites. They feared that with their new freedom and education, the freedmen would be less willing to work for their former owners. They believed that providing freedmen with an education was a waste of money, because they believed that blacks were unfit by nature to profit by formal education. Others argued that any education of the freedmen would lessened his or her usefulness as a laborer.7 However, whatever the arguments were about the education program, the work of the Bureau proceeded.

Eventually, the white Southerns, fearing that the freed slaves would get an education, started taking matters in there own hands. They began taking control of the administration for education in the South. The provisions of the Freedmen’s Bureau made integrated schools possible, but virtually all whites opposed this idea. The first integrated school during the Reconstruction era was in New Orleans; however, whites refused to attend.8

Since the schools were being segregated, colored from non-colored people, the idea of having integrated schools in the South would have to wait another eighty years.

The Freedmen’s Bureau had its challenges. Overall, the Freedmen’s Bureau took steps forward for educating former slaves in the midst of hostile and chaotic times, the period we call Reconstruction.

  1.  Alan Brinkley, American History: Connecting with the Past Volume 2, 15 edition (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education, 2014), 409.
  2. Marjorie H. Parker, “Some Educational Activities of the Freedmen’s Bureau,” The Journal of Negro Education 23, no. 1 (1954): 9.
  3. Brinkley, American History: Connecting with the Past Volume 2, 409.
  4. Brinkley, American History: Connecting with the Past Volume 2, 409.
  5. Richard B. Drake,”Freedmen’s Aid Societies and Sectional Compromise,” The Journal of Southern History 29, no. 2 (1963): 176.
  6. Marjorie H. Parker, “Some Educational Activities of the Freedmen’s Bureau,” The Journal of Negro Education 23, no. 1 (1954): 12.
  7. Marjorie H. Parker, “Some Educational Activities of the Freedmen’s Bureau,” The Journal of Negro Education 23, no. 1 (1954), 10.
  8. Brinkley, American History: Connecting with the Past Volume, 409.

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Recent Comments

Maalik Stansbury

Education was highly valued. That’s pretty interesting, since the amount of money to this day goes towards it. Including the amount of staff and students there was provided in the article. I just think that’s amazing. I also like how well-described this article is and intuitive. Great job on the article.

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07/12/2016

12:19 pm

Cesar Zavala

It’s good to know that the government of the Unites States after the Civil War did not just leave the newly freed men to their own demise. The Freedman’s Bureau was the first step by the government to repay former slaves for the injustice they experienced. Although there were many who were opposed to teaching former slaves, the newly freed men and women did not let that stop them from educating themselves and starting their new lives.

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10/02/2017

12:19 pm

Christopher Repka

I had never read about the beginning of the Freedman’s Bureau, and as a prospective educator, this article was especially interesting to me. While this article was informative, well written, and captivating, I was left wondering who in particular were the political proponents and opponents of the Freedman’s Bureau at the time it was passed through Congress. Furthermore, I was left wondering in particular who might have been some of the early students provided education through the Freedman’s Bureau, and did they become scholars or politicians? Did any of the early students become teachers? Of course, I know you cannot cover everything! The point is that your article sparked my interest in the subject. Thank you for the interesting article.

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03/03/2017

12:19 pm

Tyler Sleeter

I had never heard of the Freedman’s Bureau before reading this very informative article. I was surprised to see that the goal was to educate all southerner’s regardless of skin color. That type of thinking for the south at the period right after the Civil War seems much too forward thinking and I am not surprised at all to see their mission was not accomplished. I think that it is interesting that the first integrated school was in New Orleans even though the white parents refused to send their children there. The Freedman’s Bureau seems like a great organization with an amazing goal that came too soon to be successful, but at least they tried to change the social norms for the south.

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03/03/2017

12:19 pm

Alyssa Vela

This was a really interesting article! I started reading with no initial knowledge of the Freedman’s Bureau, but after reading it I am now able to say that I am walking away with some interesting information on it! One thing that stood out to me the most was how they strived for integration, and slaves to attend. Overall, this was an amazing article! Thank you for putting so much effort into your research, it really showed in the article just how much work was put into it. I look forward to reading more of your work.

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15/03/2017

12:19 pm

Erin Vento

I did have prior knowledge of the Freedmen’s Bureau before reading this article, and I liked how you went into detail about who the Bureau was set up to help and all reasons why (to educate and also because of the land issue after the Civil War). It’s amazing to think of all the people the Bureau helped during the Reconstruction and its impact on the future; great article!

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17/08/2017

12:19 pm

Aaiyanna Johnson

It is truly amazing of how a great initiative can be morphed into something totally different. I enjoyed learning about this association. I loved how their purpose stayed the same, and their devotion was unwavering to help those whom needed it. Even though it was overtaken by those whom opposed their beliefs, they still granted others the education they very much needed.

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15/09/2017

12:19 pm

Tyler Thompson

The Freedman’s Bureau was a stepping stool for America. It was a amazing idea, and it was obvious that they cared about former slaves receiving the essential items for a successful life. Especially a life that doesn’t require them to work for their former owners. Although white southerners were hesitant about it, they still provided them with education, but made it more segregated.

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16/03/2018

12:19 pm

Anna Guaderrama

Okay, so if I am being completely honest here I vaguely remembered what the Freedman’s Bureau was/did. However, after reading this article I feel very refreshed on the topic. Personally, I felt like this article was very well written and did an amazing job at explaining it. Although the bureau had it’s problems that it faced, it’s inspirational to see how they persevered through all odds and fought for what they believed in.

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21/03/2018

12:19 pm

Kimberly Simmons

The Freedmen’s Bureau lent a helping hand to those in need, but besides that, they brewed greatness behind closed doors. I have done much research on the Freedmen’s Bureau and have learned about it extensively in the past. I enjoy reading new information on it and seeing others’ viewpoints. The author did a nice job of laying out exactly what it was and how it truly benefited freed slaves.

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03/04/2018

12:19 pm

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