Freedmen’s Bureau Act Part 1. (March 3, 1865)

An Act to Establish a Bureau for the Relief of Freedmen and Refugees
(13 Stat. 507)

Preamble / Opening Clause

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled —
The Act creates a bureau “to continue during the present war of rebellion, and for one year thereafter,”
called the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands.”

SECTION 1 — Establishment & Organization

• Creation & Placement:
  Establishes the Bureau within the War Department to supervise and manage:

  • abandoned lands

  • matters relating to refugees and freedmen in rebel states or areas under Army operations.

Leadership:
A Commissioner is to be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Staff & Bonds:

• The Commissioner and specified clerks are authorized (with class and number limits) and must take the legal oath of office.

• The Commissioner must post a $50,000 bond, and the chief clerk must post a $10,000 bond, for faithful performance.

• Bonds are filed with the First Comptroller of the Treasury and enforceable for any breach.

SECTION 2 — Relief Supplies

The Secretary of War is authorized to issue provisions, clothing, and fuel as needed for the
…immediate and temporary shelter and supply of destitute refugees, freedmen, and their wives and children,
…under regulations the Secretary directs.

SECTION 3 — Assistant Commissioners & Reports

• The President, with Senate approval, may appoint assistant commissioners (up to 10), one for each state in insurrection, to help execute the Act.

Bonds & Salaries:
Each assistant commissioner must give a bond ($20,000) and receive an annual salary.
Military officers may be detailed to duty under this Act without additional pay.

Reporting Requirements:

• The Commissioner must report before each regular session of Congress and whenever required by the President or either house.

• Assistant commissioners make quarterly and special reports to the Commissioner.

SECTION 4 — Land Assignment

• The Commissioner, under Presidential direction, may set apart tracts of abandoned or U.S.-acquired land for use by loyal refugees and freedmen.

Assignment Terms:

• No more than 40 acres to every eligible male freedman or refugee.

• Protected use and enjoyment for three years at a rent not exceeding 6 % of the land’s 1860 valuation (tax appraisal), or if no appraisal exists, by a value ascertained by Bureau regulation.

Purchase Option:
At the end of the term (or any time during it), occupants may purchase the land and receive title as the United States can convey, upon paying the fixed land value.

SECTION 5 — Repeal of Inconsistent Laws

All acts or parts of acts that are inconsistent with this Act are repealed.

Approval

This Act was approved on March 3, 1865.

Notes

• This original Act created the Bureau to exist for one year after the Civil War. Congress later extended and amended the Bureau’s authority in 1866 (over President Andrew Johnson’s veto) to extend its duration and powers.

The Act’s language laid the groundwork for Bureau functions such as relief provisions,
…contract supervision, refugee support, and land-use assignments, which influenced Reconstruction policies.