The Freedmen's Plans And Reforms During The Reconstruction Era

Introduction: With the Emancipation Proclamation being declared in 1863 by Lincoln and the 13th Amendment being enacted later in 1865 all the slaves were emancipated. Due to the large number of freed slaves many of whom were non educated the equality that became immediately present had to be solved. Unlike other social gaps present in America at the time blacks were not only subjected to the ongoing philosophy of white supremacy but were also the targets of state laws which prohibited blacks from rights guaranteed by the constitution.

Thesis: The Freedmen's plans and reforms during the reconstruction period were the most influential because it impacted all the recently freed slaves and helped in rebuilding the south by the use of federal organizations

This legislative body proved to be effective as they were able to establish education systems, hospitals, and provide food. The education system was a success as Jones proves by saying, “...the peak year for freedmen enrollment, there were 3,633 teachers working in 2,677 schools with 149,589 pupils” (Jones 224). The Bureau also provided support by giving out rations, “...by March, 1868, nearly 18,319,522 rations were distributed; and in 1865-1866, the daily average of rations distributed was 29,819” (Bentley 140-141). During the time in which the bureau was in effect the program also funded the building of hospitals, “ Freedmen's Bureau hospitals were also available throughout the South. During one six-month period, according to Bentley, 42 medical facilities cared for 45,898 freedmen” (Bentley

They provided help for the blacks that had just been freed from slavery. They created an organization to create structure for their voices to be heard, and to officially get things done, this organization was named Freedmen’s Bureau. The Freedmen’s Bureau was established by Congress as the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned lands in 1865, to aid and protect former slaves at the end of the war. The work of this Bureau concentrated on five areas: relief work for citizens in all war-torn areas, regulation of black labor, management of abandoned and confiscated land, regulation for the justice of blacks, and the education of blacks. The legislative body proved to be effective as they were able to establish education systems as well as help in the building of hospitals. The Bureau built hospitals for the freed slaves and gave direct medical aid to more than a million of them. As for education, the Freedmen’s Bureau built more than 1,000 african-american schools and helped assist with the funding of major african-american colleges. Under the leadership of General Howard, and backed by the military force, the Freedmen’s Bureau was the most or one of the most powerful instruments in Reconstruction. The Bureau was charged with