Freedmen’s Bureau Records Now Available at Ancestry.com

Today Ancestry announced the unveiling of a new record collection, the Freedmen’s Bureau records. Congress established the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands in 1865 to assist in the reconstruction of the South and to aid formerly enslaved individuals transition to freedom and citizenship. The Freedmen’s Bureau assisted with land and property, relief programs, medical care, and educational support—among many other important endeavors. Records in this collection include marriage records, bank records, hospital records, personal letters and labor contracts.

The Freedmen’s Bureau records are unique in that they can give you a glimpse into the lives of your ancestors immediately following the emancipation proclamation of slavery. These records can also give you information on your enslaved ancestors that you may be hard to find, such as place and date of birth, marriage dates, names of other family members, or their slave holder’s name. Many people, including myself, think these records are just for African Americans searching for their enslaved ancestors. The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands was created to assist anyone who was negatively impacted by the Civil War. So there are some records for Native Americans and Caucasian that went to the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands for assistance. But also the labor contract records list both the sharecroppers (former enslaved people), but also the land owners they are working for as well. So if you have ancestors that lived in the south during 1865-1870, you may be able to find some information about them in the Freedmen’s Bureau records.

By researching the Freedman’s Bureau records, I was able to locate my 2X great grandfather, Peter Hatchett’s, marriage record. With a closer look at the entire record, I was able to locate his brother, Harry Hatchett’s, marriage record as well. I’m so excited to have free access to the amazing record collection. I will definitely be utilizing this collection in my research. Registration is required to search this collection, but having a paid membership to Ancestry isn’t required.