Freedmen’s Bureau Records: A Family Historian’s Guide

Are you searching for ancestors living in the former Confederate states, Border states, or Washington, D. C. during the Reconstruction Era, 1863 – 1877?

If yes, the records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands will benefit your research. These records document Freedmen taking advantage of their new freedoms, such as legalizing marriages, agreeing to contracts, securing rations, receiving an education, and fighting for justice.

Join Shamele Jordan for this week-long workshop! You'll learn the history of the Freedman's Bureau, as well as the types of documents associated with it. Most importantly, you'll learn how to access Freeman's Bureau documents and incorporate them into your genealogy research.

DATE: July 10, 2023 - July 16, 2023

What You'll Learn

• Why and where the Freedmen’s Bureau was established
• What types of documents were created
• How to access and search the Freedmen’s Bureau records
• How to use in these records in your body of research

About the Instructor

Shamele Jordon is a professional genealogist, producer, writer, and lecturer. Her biographical highlights include: award winning TV producer of Genealogy Quick Start; 2018 Best Independent Producer, Instructional/Training, presented by Alliance for Community Media; 2017 Learning Award Cammy presented by PhillyCAM, Philadelphia's public access station; 2019 Lawnside Education Foundation honoree; researcher for the PBS series Oprah’s Roots: African American Lives I and II; NJ State Library grant recipient, researching Civil War Burials in Lawnside, NJ; board member and faculty at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research, University of Athens, Ga, former president of the African American Genealogy Group in Philadelphia, workshop volunteer at the Family History Center in Cherry Hill, NJ.

How do Family Tree University workshops work?

Take the course at your own pace! 

From the course start date, you’ll be able to log in to view and access your lessons and start interacting on the discussion boards. Your instructor will check in regularly to answer all of the questions and provide feedback. You will have access to your courses anytime, anywhere, with a computer, tablet or smartphone, and can study when it's most convenient for you.



After the course end date, the course will become read-only for one year. You will continue to have access through your dashboard to the materials, but the discussion boards will be closed. The materials are yours to keep. You can download them onto your desktop to access online or offline.