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Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, Arkansas records

About

The Freedmen's Bureau (Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands) was established in March 1865 and was responsible for the welfare of newly freed citizens of the formerly Confederate states. It replaced and served as an office within the War Department. The Freedmen's Bureau documents, all from National Archives Record Group 105, provide detailed evidence from each southern state of the conditions of African Americans during the Reconstruction period, covering land distribution, wages, food, clothing, education, and violence against freedpeople.

Location

Library Annex Cabinets, in several call numbers based on series

Format

Microfilm

Arrangement

In five series, each separately cataloged:

• Registers and Letters Received by the Commissioner of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1872. (74 reels, Library Annex LISA Microfilm E185.2 U5885). Contains register (lists) of letters received and sent by the central Bureau offices in Washington, as well as copies of some letters. Reels 1-2 contain indexes by correspondent and subjects.
• Records of the Education Division of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, 1865-71. (35 reels, Library Annex LISA Microfilm E 185.2 U5883). Contains reports on schools, statistical information, teacher wages, and rents paid. Arranged in series: letters sent, letters received, and school reports by state. Reels 33-35 have some indexes and registers, including a list of teacher names, and rental accounts by state.
• Selected Series of Records Issued by the Commissioner of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1872. (7 reels, Library Annex LISA Microfilm E 185.2 U5887). Includes registers of letters sent by Commission Howard and his Assistant Adjutant General, endorsements (return responses) sent, circulars issued, special orders issued, and related records.
• Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of Arkansas, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-69. M979 (52 reels, Library Annex LISA Microfilm E 185.93 .A8 U587). Represents some 24 volumes of letters and telegrams sent and received, special orders issued, a register of abandoned and confiscated lands in Arkansas, labor contracts, and a list of officers and civilians employed by the Bureau. Arranged in series such as letters and telegrams, issuances, reports, etc.
• Records: Field Offices (Arkansas). M1901.(23 reels, Library Annex LISA Microfilm E185.93 A8 U585). Includes records of the Arkansas Claims Division, as well as regional office files from throughout the state.

Items

More than 150 reels of film in five series

Publication

United States National Archives and Records Administration