Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History & Culture Enduring Connections: Exploring Delmarva's Black History

Source Information

Freedmen's Bureau School Reports, 1869-1870

Education • 46 Records • Uploaded June 23, 2023

This source contains monthly reports from schools commissioned by the Freedmen's Bureau across the Delmarva Peninsula after the Civil War. The records are dated 1869-1870 and provide statistics and general remarks about the activities and curriculum of the schools as reported by school administrators; each report documents a specific school as well as its local sponsorship, student enrollment, and available courses. A significant portion of the schools were owned by local freed Blacks, or otherwise owned by Black churches, with a majority dually functioning as Sabbath or Industry schools.

In March of 1865 the War Department established the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, known as the Freedmen’s Bureau. While Freedmen Bureau's activity on the Delmarva Peninsula was primarily administered through the Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia office, the educational efforts were administered through the District of Columbia office.

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Fields Included

The list below shows the data fields included in this source. If a field is marked as Indexed, it is searchable.

  • Report Date
  • Location Indexed
  • School Name and Classification Indexed
  • Length of Session
  • Reporting Administrator Indexed
  • School Ownership
  • Sponsorship Indexed
  • Enrollment and Average Attendance
  • Previous Report's Enrollment
  • Number of White Pupils
  • Number of Students Freed Before Civil War
  • Courses and Enrollment
  • Students with Basic Literacy
  • Additional Schools
  • Public Sentiment Indexed
  • Noted Closures Indexed
  • Teacher's Remarks Indexed
  • Transcriber's Notes Indexed
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