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Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands labor contract

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-0230

Scope and Contents

The collection contains a labor contract dated 16 June 1865, with estate of Greene Underwood of Dallas County, Alabama, binding former slaves to work the plantation in return for food, clothing and medical care.

Dates

  • 1865 June 16

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Due to the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to certain materials may require additional advance notice.

Biographical / Historical

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, usually referred to as simply the Freedmen's Bureau, was a U.S. federal government agency that aided distressed freedmen (freed slaves) in 1865–1869, during the Reconstruction era of the United States. The Freedmen's Bureau Bill, which created the Freedmen's Bureau, was initiated by President Abraham Lincoln and was intended to last for one year after the end of the Civil War. It was passed on March 3, 1865, by Congress to aid former slaves through legal food and housing, oversight, education, health care, and employment contracts with private landowners. It became a key agency during Reconstruction, assisting freed ex-slaves in the South. The Bureau was part of the United States Department of War. Headed by Union Army General Oliver O. Howard, the Bureau was operational from 1865 to 1871. It was disbanded under President Ulysses S. Grant.

Extent

0.04 Linear Feet (1 item , 4 leaves; photocopy)

Language of Materials

English

Overview

Labor contract dated 16 June 1865 with estate of Greene Underwood of Dallas Co., Alabama, binding former slaves to plantation in return for food, clothing and medical care

Provenance

unknown

General

To provide faster access to our materials, this finding aid was published without formal and final review. Email us at archives@ua.edu if you find mistakes or have suggestions to make this finding aid more useful for your research.

Processed by

unknown, 2008; updated by Martha Bace, 2012
Title
Guide to the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands labor contract
Status
Completed
Date
February 2008
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the The University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Box 870266
Tuscaloosa AL 35487-0266
205.348.0513