The Freedmen's Bureau
After the Civil War, thousands of slaves were freed because of the Emancipation Proclamation. Even though it was a great thing, most of them had almost nothing to start a new life for themselves. Many just roamed around looking for food, shelter and work. It was extreamlly hard to find any of these things because any open job was usually given to a white man before a black, and even if the freedman got the job, he would usually be paid less than the normal wage. They may have been free, but discrimination still haunted them.
Purpose of the Bureau
Howard University (was also known as the Freedmen's Bureau) was founded by General Oliver O. Howard to help former slaves (freedmen) and poor whites with their everyday opstacules in life by giving them food, clothing and other necessities. It was meant to help these people get up on two feet and start a new life for themselves. Because most freedmen also had little or no education, the bureau also taught how to make everyday decisions and how to read and write.
Goals of the Bureau
At first, the main goal of the bureau was to just give food, clothing, shelter and other necessities to help the freedmen and poor whites but then it became more focused on education. An education was going to get the people jobs and help them make better decisions. The bureau knew this so they set up 4,000 primary schools, 64 industrial schools and 74 teacher-training institutions, spending over $400,000 to help these people in need! The North was the main contributor to the cause sending money and teachers to the institution. The South, of course, was still discriminating against black therefore barely supporting the cause.
Atlanta University
In 1867,the American Missionary Association sponsored the chartering of Atlanta University. The purpose for this school was for it to be an African American school to educate them about not only the standard curriculum but to also about how to make decisions in their lives. Originally the school offered teaching from levels kindergarten through collage, but in 1894 all pre-high school level work was ceased, and then eventually within the first two decades of the 20th century, the school phased out high school until it became just a collage. Because of its exsistance, many African Americans have learned how to read, write and deliver basic life principles.
Morehouse Collage
Morehouse collage (first know as Augusta Theological Institute) was started in the basement of Springfield Baptist Church in Augusta, Ga organized by the American Baptist Home Mission Society. It was established for African American men to prepare them for ministry and teaching. In the 1960s students were actively involved in the civil rights movement and helped enforce its exictance. It moved to Atlanta in 1870 and is still operating. Today it has an enjoyable international reputation for producing black leaders who have influenced national and world history.
Clarke College
Established in 1843, Clarke College was founded and named after a Irish woman named Mary Frances Clarke who founded a congregation of religious women, the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BMVs). At first it was opened as a school for children, but by 1877 it had become a collage. The point of this collage was to provide an education to the children but then grew to educating at the collage level.
Contributions of the Bureau to African Americans
The freedmen's Bureau has created several successful collages and schools that are still in use today. Back then, the Bureau was even more impactful because it helped so many African Americans see through the darkness and help them get back on their feet after being released from the several years of slavery they had to endure. It helped them get jobs, food, clothing, shelter and much more. Without it, many of the African Americans would have been roaming the streets and their future generations not as educated. We also wouldn't have all the amazing schools and collages that we have today.