BLACK IN TIME: A Moment In OUR History - Freedmen's Bureau (721 hits)
Oliver O. Howard&Thaddeus Stevens
On March 3, 1865, Congress Created The U.S. Bureau Of Refugees, Freedmen, And Abandoned Lands, To Aid 4,000,000 Destitute Ex-Slaves And Impoverished Whites In The South, Following The Civil War.
The Freedman's Bureau Provided Medical Services And Helped Establish Hospitals, Schools And Social Service Agencies During Reconstruction. Many Of The Major Black Colleges Were Established During This Period, Including Howard University, Which Was Founded By Union Army General And Bureau Commissioner, Oliver O. Howard.
It Was Also During This Time Of Transition That A 74-Year-Old White Congressman From Pennsylvania, Named Thaddeus Stevens, Suggested That Each Ex-Slave Be Given "40 Acres And A Mule," As Compensation For Their Years Of Forced Servitude.
In Its Efforts To Improve The Quality Of Life For Black Americans The Bureau Was Constantly Hindered By Racist-Driven Activity -- Including Discriminatory Laws Adopted By Southern States, Violence Against Blacks And Increased Activity By The Ku Klux Klan, Which Included Intimidation And Murder Of Black Americans.
Although the Freedman's Bureau Was Not Able To Provide Long-Term Protection For Blacks, Nor Did It Ensure Any Real Measure Of Equality, It Did Signal The Introduction Of The Federal Government Into Issues Of Social Welfare And Labor Relations.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
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