Here is an archive of Freedmen’s Bureau documents:
There are more in-depth materials eslewhere on the Bureau. As I work through the blogging of Reconstruction I will point the way for research on the Freedmen’s Bureau.
If you are not sure what the Freedmen’s Bureau was, here is W.E.B. DuBois on the founding of the Freedman’s Bureau:
http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/issues/01mar/dubois.htm
You may also want to check out this short explainer from the NY Times on the Bureau:
The law granted relief to black and white persons displaced by the Civil War, but was aimed at assisting the freed slaves in their transition from enslavement to liberty. The freed slaves were provided basic shelter and medical care, assistance in labor-contract negotiation and the establishment of schools, and similar services. The Freedmen’s Bureau was the first federal agency dedicated to social welfare.
Follow Reconstruction Blog on Social Media: