The Freedmen’s Bureau Project is helping African Americans reconnect with their Civil War era ancestors. Emancipation freed nearly 4 million slaves. The Freedmen’s Bureau was established to help transition families from slavery to citizenship, providing food, housing, education, and medical care. For the first time in U.S. history, the names of those individuals are being systematically recorded and preserved for future generations.
To help bring thousands of records to light, the Freedmen’s Bureau Project was created as a set of partnerships between FamilySearch International and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), and the California African American Museum.
Tens of thousands of volunteers are needed to make these records searchable online. No specific time commitment is required, and anyone can participate. Volunteers simply log on, pull up as many scanned documents as they like, and enter the names and dates into the fields provided. Once published, information for millions of African Americans will be accessible, allowing families to build their family trees and connect with their ancestors. With over 100 projects in 20 different countries, there’s sure to be a project that interests you.
Every name brings us closer to completing this project. The progress meter shows what percentage of the records that have been indexed so far, but there’s still a lot of work to do. Learn how you can get involved today to help millions discover their roots.
Begin your own family history by reaching out to parents, grandparents, and any relative who can share stories, photos, or other information.
If you already have the name of ancestors and you would like to find more information about them, type their name in the ‘Search For an Ancestor’ section. The search uses FamilySearch.org’s extensive database of more than 5 billion searchable names in historical records, allowing you to add them to your own family tree. For more information visit: http://www.discoverfreedmen.org/
