Freedmen's Bureau bills facts for kids
The Freedmen's Bureau bills were important laws in American history. They helped create and keep alive the Freedmen's Bureau. This group was officially called the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands.
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln started the Bureau in 1865. It was part of the United States Army. Its main goal was to help formerly enslaved people after the American Civil War.
Later bills tried to make the Bureau stronger and last longer. But U.S. President Andrew Johnson tried to stop these efforts. The Bureau finally closed down in 1872, during U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant's first term.
Contents
What Was the Freedmen's Bureau?
The Freedmen's Bureau was set up in 1865. This happened during President Lincoln's time in office. Congress passed a law called the Freedman's Bureau Bill.
This law aimed to help former slaves. It provided them with food and places to live. It also offered education and health care. The Bureau helped them find jobs too. They helped create fair work agreements with landowners.
Early Efforts and Challenges
A new Freedmen's Bureau Bill was proposed in 1866. This bill aimed to give the Bureau more power. But U.S. President Andrew Johnson did not agree.
He stopped the bill on February 19, 1866. This is called a presidential veto. Congress tried to pass the bill anyway. But they did not have enough votes to overrule the veto.
This 1866 bill was connected to another important law. It was related to the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Both laws aimed to give more rights to African Americans.
Gaining Rights for Freed People
Congress kept working on new bills. On July 16, 1866, they passed another Freedmen's Bureau bill. President Johnson vetoed this one too.
But this time, Congress had enough votes. They voted to overrule his veto on the same day. This was a big moment. It showed the growing disagreement between President Johnson and some members of Congress. These members were called Radical Republicans.
This new law was very important for Reconstruction. It gave many new rights to former slaves. They could get land and send their children to schools. Military courts were set up to protect these rights.
The law also said that former slaves had the same rights as white people. This included the right to own property. They could buy, sell, and rent land. They also had the right to carry weapons. This was important because some groups were trying to take guns away from freedmen.
The Bureau's End
In July 1868, Congress voted to keep the Freedmen's Bureau going. But a few weeks later, they changed their minds. They decided to limit what the Bureau could do.
From then on, the Bureau mostly handled claims. It also continued to support education. Four years later, in June 1872, Congress decided to close the Bureau completely. It stopped working by the end of that month.
See also
