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 Superintendent of Education for the State of Louisiana, Series 2: Reports and Other Records.
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 Louisiana during the Reconstruction Era.
The series of narrative reports from subordinates is arranged by type of Bureau official submitting the report and thereunder chronologically. Reports in this series were submitted by assistant superintendents, September 26, 1865-February 11, 1866, and September 30,1866; by school directors, August and October 1865-September 1866; by city superintendents of schools, October 4, 1865-February 8, 1866; by agents, June 12, 1865-September 30, 1866; and by special committees to examine freedmen's schools, November 11 and December 28, 1865. The records include both regular periodic reports and reports made in response to special requests from the Superintendent. Although most reports are narrative in form, some contain tabular statistical summaries and maps showing the locations of Bureau schools. Most of the reports contain such information as the names of schools, principals, and teachers in each parish; the locations of the school and of buildings available for school use; the number of pupils; quantity of supplies needed; and the amount and nature of local anti-bureau activities.