We are excited to share three new 10 Million Names databases today: The United States: Freedmen’s Bureau, Records of Freedmen, 1865-1872; The United States: Freedman’s Bank Records, 1865-1874; and The United States: Freedmen’s Bureau Labor Contracts, Indenture and Apprenticeship Records, 1865-1872. The Freedmen’s Bureau collected and documented a wealth of information about previously enslaved individuals and their families, offering insights into the lives of Freedmen.
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (Record Group 105), also known as the Freedmen’s Bureau, was established in the War Department by an act of Congress on March 3, 1865. The Bureau was responsible for the supervision and management of all matters relating to refugees and freedmen, as well as lands abandoned or seized during the Civil War, duties previously shared by military commanders and U.S. Treasury Department officials.
These valuable records were provided by FamilySearch, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving important family records and making them freely accessible online. Their resources help millions of people discover their heritage and connect with family members.
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United States: Freedmen’s Bureau, Records of Freedmen, 1865-1872
The functions of the Bureau included issuing rations and clothing, operating hospitals and refugee camps, and supervising labor contracts between planters and freedpeople. The Bureau also managed apprenticeship disputes and complaints, assisted benevolent societies in establishing schools, helped legalize marriages entered into during slavery, and provided transportation for refugees and freedpeople seeking to reunite with their families or relocate to other parts of the country. When Congress extended the Bureau’s life, it also authorized other duties, such as assisting Black soldiers and sailors in obtaining back pay, bounty payments, and pensions. Much of this information was documented as part of the Freedmen’s Bureau mission and function.
This database contains an index and images of 35,658 records and 35,658 names.
United States: Freedmen’s Bank Records, 1865-1874 are a rich source of documentation about the African American family. Founded in 1865 as a safe place for African American Civil War soldiers to save their money, the Freedmen’s Bank collected substantial, detailed information about each depositor and their family.
This collection contains an index of records from 32 out of 37 branches. The branches were in Alabama, Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. This database contains an index of 480,597 records and 1,081,838 names.
It’s important to note that this collection is “transcript only.” Each record, however, contains a link to the FamilySearch website where the image of the record may be viewed. Image viewing is possible when logged in to Familysearch.org from an FamilySearch affiliate Library (such as the Brim-DeForest Library in Boston), or a FamilySearch center. FamilySearch center locations
United States: Freedmen’s Bureau Labor Contracts, Indenture and Apprenticeship Records, 1865-1872
This database includes an index and images of employment-related records, including labor contracts, indentures, and apprenticeship records from individual state field offices. The purpose was to supervise agreements to ensure that both parties met the agreement specifications. States covered include Alabama, Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The database holds 704,532 records and 577,411 names.
These databases are presented as part of 10 Million Names, a project which aims to recover names and restore information to families of the estimated 10 million women, men, and children of African descent who were enslaved in the U.S. until emancipation through a collaborative network of expert genealogists, historians, cultural institutions, and descendant communities. This project seeks to amplify the voices of people who have been telling their family stories for centuries, connect researchers and data partners with people seeking answers to their family history questions, and expand access to data, resources, and information about enslaved African Americans.
These databases were made possible with the help of our long-time volunteer, Sam Sturgis. We greatly appreciate all of his hard work on these projects! If you are interested in volunteering for the 10 Million Names Project, please contact our 10 Million Names Volunteer Manager, Danielle Rose, at Danielle.Rose@americanancestors.org.
Please note: These databases are available to all members, including Guest Members, as part of 10 Million Names.