Browse Projects
The African American story is central to our nation’s history. Collections documenting the contributions of African Americans in countless fields, along with the struggles and achievements inherent to their stories, can be found in the records of every Smithsonian museum. Help us make these collections more accessible through transcription. Browse projects below and learn more by searching our blog, and by visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Mississippi Field Offices, Subordinate Field Offices: Columbus, Registers of Complaints, Vol. 1 (112), Aug. 1867–Jan. 1868
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, often referred to as the Freedmen’s Bureau, was established on March 3, 1865. The duties of the Freedmen’s Bureau included supervision of all affairs relating to refugees, freedmen, and the custody of abandoned lands and property. These documents come from the Records of the Field Offices for the State of Mississippi, Series 3.6: Subordinate Field Offices: Columbus (Subassistant Commissioner).
Mississippi Field Offices, Subordinate Field Offices: Columbus, Registers of Letters Received, Vol. 1 (107), Mar. 1866–Jan. 1868
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, often referred to as the Freedmen’s Bureau, was established on March 3, 1865. The duties of the Freedmen’s Bureau included supervision of all affairs relating to refugees, freedmen, and the custody of abandoned lands and property. These documents come from the Records of the Field Offices for the State of Mississippi, Series 3.1: Subordinate Field Offices: Columbus (Subassistant Commissioner).
Registers and Letters Received by the Commissioner, Indexes and Registers, Register 17 (58), Aug. 1870–Jan. 1871
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, often referred to as the Freedmen’s Bureau, was established on March 3, 1865. The duties of the Freedmen’s Bureau included supervision of all affairs relating to refugees, freedmen, and the custody of abandoned lands and property. These documents come from the Registers and Letters Received by the Commissioner of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, Series 1: Indexes and Registers of Letters Received. Additional resources are available on the Freedmen's Bureau Instructions Page. Please help us transcribe these records to learn more about the lives of formerly enslaved men and women during the Reconstruction Era.
Texas Assistant Commissioner, Letters Received, Entered in Register 1, H–L, 1866–67, Part 1
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, often referred to as the Freedmen’s Bureau, was established on March 3, 1865. The duties of the Freedmen’s Bureau included supervision of all affairs relating to refugees, freedmen, and the custody of abandoned lands and property. These documents come from the Records of the Assistant Commissioner for Texas, Series 4: Letters Received. Additional resources are available on the Freedmen's Bureau Instructions Page. Please help us transcribe these records to learn more about the lives of formerly enslaved men and women in Texas during the Reconstruction Era.
Texas Assistant Commissioner, Letters Received, Entered in Register 1, H–L, 1866–67, Part 2
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, often referred to as the Freedmen’s Bureau, was established on March 3, 1865. The duties of the Freedmen’s Bureau included supervision of all affairs relating to refugees, freedmen, and the custody of abandoned lands and property. These documents come from the Records of the Assistant Commissioner for Texas, Series 4: Letters Received. Additional resources are available on the Freedmen's Bureau Instructions Page. Please help us transcribe these records to learn more about the lives of formerly enslaved men and women in Texas during the Reconstruction Era.
Texas Assistant Commissioner, Letters Sent, Vol. 1 (4), Sept. 1865–Mar. 1867
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, often referred to as the Freedmen’s Bureau, was established on March 3, 1865. The duties of the Freedmen’s Bureau included supervision of all affairs relating to refugees, freedmen, and the custody of abandoned lands and property. These documents come from the Records of the Assistant Commissioner for Texas, Series 1: Letters Sent. Additional resources are available on the Freedmen's Bureau Instructions Page. Please help us transcribe these records to learn more about the lives of formerly enslaved men and women in Texas during the Reconstruction Era.