The involvement of the Freedmen's Bureau in the establishment of
African-American family structure is rarely discussed as one of the
Bureau's major activities. Although the Bureau is though of having been
ineffective overall, many historians credit the Bureau for having succeeded in the providing freedmen with education and the power of negotiating fair labor contracts. These two services are often cited because the right to education and the right to cho
ose one's employment are commonly thought of as
the two most important rights that were denied to slaves. However, the
cruelest aspect of slavery may have been the denial of a slave's right
to a secure family structure.
Current social theorists emphasize strong family relationships as being paramount for an individual's emotional and mental health. (Owens 191-192) A stable nuclear family was almost impossible to maintain under slavery. Marriage between slaves was not legally recognized. Slaves requested permission from their masters to be allowed to marry and the recognition of the union only came from within the slave community. The slave marriage ceremony, if one was held at all, varied from the couple jumping over a broomstick together to exchanging vows in front of a white minister. Whatever the nature of the wedding ceremony, slave marriages ultimately depended on the will of the masters. Some slaves were forced into "marriage" for breeding purposes. (King 64, Owens 93, Unwritten 1) Husbands, wives, and children were often separated when sold. To many whites, the slave family consisted of transient members who could be easily exchanged emotionally by the slave as they could physically by the master. Because of this, slaves obtained a reputation among whites as being immoral and devoid of family values. (Owens 193) To the surprise of many whites, countless number so freed slaves attempted to find their long lost relatives at the end of the war. (Litwack 229) Unfortunately, the chances of locating a family member were slim. Years had past and physical appearances had changes and information, which was mainly obtained by word of mouth, was often outdated or inaccurate. (Litwack 230)
The Freedmen's Bureau Agents did their best to help freedmen reunite
and establish families according to the accepted practices of white
America. The Bureau functioned as a clearinghouse of information,
assigned its agents to investigate leads to the whereabouts of family
members and spouses, and sometimes provided transportation to reunite
families.
(Litwack 231)
Freedmen and freedwomen turned to the Bureau for assistance
in resolving domestic problems such as abandonment and divorce. The
establishment of a stable family structure for among freedmen was believed
to be an essential for integrating ex-slaves into civilized life.
(
Most cases brought before the Bureau had very little information to start
the investigation with. Every possibility was explored in attempt to find
lost relatives. In December 1867,
the Agent Thomas P. Jackson of the Staunton Freedmen's Bureau
office requested that the Assistant Commissioner, John McDonnell, find a
former slave only known as "Uncle Flemming" in order to question him about
the whereabouts of the slave trader who had sold the children of Nancy
Thornton. This situation was typical of the process to find relatives. Freedmen had barely any information to start with. Slave traders were often sought with the hope that they would remember to whom the family member was sold to.
In the case of Marian Hall, the
problem was legal rather than financial. Marian Hall was attempting to regain
custody of his daughter, Mary Elizabeth who had been taken away from him
during slavery. S. C. Slaven currently possessed the girl and claimed
that she was indentured to him as repayment for the years he had provided
for her.
The legalities of the case were eventually resolved and Slaven
was ordered to had the child over to her father, however, then arose
the problem of financing her travels to him. No record was found as to
whether Marian Hall was reunited with his daughter, but it can be assumed
so from his anxious nature to be reunited with her.
In 1868, the Staunton Bureau investigated the whereabouts of Cynis Bannister
who had been reported by his wife, Angeline Bannister to have left Staunton
in 1864 for Parkersburg., Agent, S. C. Colburn, who interviewed Cynis
Bannister "endeavored to impress upon him the importance of caring for his
children." Cynis stated that marital problems induced him to leave but that
he was planning to visit his wife and children in the spring. The fact that
it took four years for Angeline to search for her husband
or for Cynis to plan a trip to visit his wife attests to the weakness of the
marital bond between this couple.
In the case of David Collins, devotion to the marriage was strictly one way.
David Collins' wife had left Staunton for Winchester in September 1866 to visit her mother. Having heard nothing from her since, Collins solicited
the Bureau for help in finding her. The Bureau did locate her, but she was
living with a new husband. The right to legal marriage and divorce was
evidently valuable to David Collins as an aspect of his freedom. Collins
immediately requested information on how to legally nullify the marriage.
Many cases of polygamy surfaced after the war when freedmen located their spouses. Slaves frequently remarried after their spouses had been sold. Many polygamous relationships arose from attempts of freedmen to care for the two or more wives and families whom they had been reunited after the war. (Taylor 164)
Elizabeth Harris petitioned the Staunton Bureau for help in locating her
husband, James Harris in December 1867. James had apparently left Staunton
for Danville and had not been heard from since. The Bureau did locate him
working for the railroad outside of Danville, but discovered that he had two
other wives.
The Agents of the Freedmen's Bureau in Augusta County did their best to help the freedmen establish a strong family structure. Although its efforts were noble, the Freedmen's Bureau could do little to reverse the sociological effects of decades of slavery and had almost no funds or staff to to support in- depth investigations to locate loved ones. |
Return to the Valley of the Shadow