[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 132 (Thursday, October 19, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H10459-H10461]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FREEDMEN'S BUREAU RECORDS PRESERVATION ACT OF 2000
Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on
Government Reform be discharged from further consideration of the bill
(H.R. 5157) to amend title 44, United States Code, to ensure
preservation of the records of the Freedmen's Bureau, and ask for its
immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I
do not by any means plan to object, but I yield to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Horn) for a brief explanation of the bill.
Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5157, the Freedmen's Bureau Records Preservation
Act of 2000, represents a bipartisan effort to safeguard important
links to the past. These records document how the 38th Congress
responded to the enormous social and economic upheaval in the aftermath
of the Civil War.
The Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and
Technology, which I chair, held a hearing on this bill on October 18,
2000. The subcommittee heard testimony from a number of very
distinguished scholars and witnesses, including the President of Howard
University, H. Patrick Swygert.
President Swygert testified about the importance of safeguarding
these uniquely valuable records, which are deteriorating due to the
passage of time.
From 1865 to 1872, the Freedmen's Bureau helped better the lives of
former slaves and others who had been impoverished by the war. These
Bureau records are in many instances the only link many Americans have
with their past and our past, especially those who are descended from
former slaves.
H.R. 5157 would require the Archivist of the United States to
preserve these irreplaceable documents. The bill would also require the
Archivist of the United States to develop partnerships with educational
institutions such as Howard University and others to index the records
so they may be more readily accessible to anyone who is interested in
this important period of the Nation's history.
[[Page H10460]]
I congratulate the authors of this legislation, my colleague, the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald), and the gentleman
from Oklahoma (Mr. Watts), chairman of the House Republican Conference,
for bringing this important issue to the forefront.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill. It is an important first
step toward ensuring that a momentous part of America's history will be
protected, preserved, and never forgotten.
Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to
object, I would like to simply thank the gentleman from California (Mr.
Horn), and tonight I introduce H.R. 5157, introduced along with my dear
friend and colleague, the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watts).
This bill is known as the Freedmen's Bureau Preservation Act of 2000.
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, properly called
the Freedmen's Bureau, was established in the War Department by an act
of this government on March 3, 1865.
This act was the culmination of several years of efforts as the U.S.
Government, embroiled in Civil War, sought to settle ``the slave
problem'' for the United States.
From 1619 to 1800, more than 660,000 African men, women, and children
were torn from their homelands in West Africa, herded onto ships, and
brought to North America as slaves. While the southern economy was
flourishing from slave labor, the country simultaneously was building a
new democracy based on the principles of liberty and individual
freedom.
As the democracy debate clarified issues of government and
citizenship, grave contradictions were drawn between slavery and our
Nation's first principle of individual freedom. As President Lincoln
said, the government could not endure permanently half slave and half
free.
On July 4 of 1861, President Lincoln, in a speech to Congress, said
that the war was ``* * * a people's contest * * * a struggle for
maintaining in the world, that form and substance of government, whose
leading object is to elevate the condition of men. * * *'' And this war
between the States was, among other things, a war about the condition
of the slaves.
This very body was engaged in the overwhelming challenge of moving
millions of slaves from bondage to freedom. In March of 1864, the House
passed a bill by a slender majority of two that established a Bureau of
Freedmen in the War Department.
The Senate reported a substitute bill to the House too late for
action attaching the Bureau to the Treasury Department. After the 1864
elections, the House and Senate conferred and proposed a bureau
independent of either War or Treasury.
In the political machinations between these elected representatives,
the Senate could not agree with the House. A new conference committee
was appointed which finally in 1865 established in the War Department a
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. Thus, the War
Department set about the enormous task of documenting, supervising, and
managing the transition of slaves from bondage to freedom.
The Bureau deployed field offices in Alabama, Arkansas, the District
of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Delaware,
Mississippi, Missouri, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and
Virginia.
These offices were responsible for all relief and educational
activities relating to refugees and freedmen, including issuing
rations, clothing, and medicine. The Bureau also assumed custody of
confiscated lands or property in the former Confederate States, border
States, the District of Columbia, and Indian territory.
The Bureau records that were created and maintained became the
documented history of the greatest social undertaking in this country's
history. During this tumultuous period of transformation between 1865
and 1872, the Freedmen's Bureau recorded the movements of slaves from
community to community and States to States. For historians and
genealogists, these records provided the critical link between the
Civil War and the 1870 census, the first one to list African-Americans
by name.
Former slaves, recognized formally in government records only by sex,
age, and color, were named in the Bureau records as individuals in
marriage, government ration lists, lists of colored persons, labor
contracts, indentured contracts for minors, medical records, and as
victims of violence.
Many historical and genealogical associations like the African-
American Historical and Genealogical Society, the African-American
Research Project, the Association for the Study of African-American
Life and History, the Internet-based Afrigeneas, and annual gatherings
like the family reunions have popularized African-American genealogy
and historical research.
African-Americans, like many other Americans, look to official
records for their ancestors. As ship manifests are the vital link
between European-Americans and their European ancestors, the Freedmen's
Bureau records are the link for African-Americans to their slave and
African ancestors.
The original Freedmen's Bureau records presently are preserved at the
National Archives and Records Administration here in Washington.
Greater access to these records is a high priority for millions of
Americans interested in Civil War and post-Civil War history, and
millions of African-Americans interested in their family genealogy.
There are many historians, genealogists, and family researchers
interested in exploring the vast contents of these records.
Therefore, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5157 calls on the Archivist to microfilm
the Freedmen's Bureau records, create a surname index, and put the
index online. Innovative imaging and indexing technologies can make
these records easily accessible to the public, including historians,
genealogists, novice genealogy enthusiasts, and students.
With that, Mr. Speaker, as a Member of the House of Representatives,
a descendent of slaves, and a genealogy enthusiast, I urge the passage
of this legislation so that the period in our history can become known
even further to American citizens interested in our past.
Let me thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Horn), my colleague
and friend, for his sensitivity and support of this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
The Clerk read the bill, as follows:
H.R. 5157
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Freedmen's Bureau Records
Preservation Act of 2000''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) From 1619 to 1800 more than 660,000 African men, women,
and children were torn from their homelands in west Africa
and herded onto ships for transport to North America as
slaves.
(2) Between 10 and 15 percent of these Africans died during
the journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
(3) The institution of slavery robbed Africans of their
natural rights and divided this Nation over the meaning of
freedom, the principle upon which this Nation was founded.
(4) Paraphrasing President Abraham Lincoln, the Government
could not endure permanently half slave and half free.
(5) The United States waged the Civil War to free the
Nation's slaves, preserve the Nation, and embrace all people
as citizens regardless of race in a system of inclusive
freedom for all.
(6) On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued
the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that
individuals held as slaves within the rebellious States
``are, and henceforward shall be free''.
(7) On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered the
Confederate Army to General Ulysses S. Grant, thereby ending
the Civil War.
(8) In 1865, the Congress established in the War Department
the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands,
commonly referred to as the ``Freedmen's Bureau'', to
supervise and manage all matters relating to refugees and
freedmen, and to supervise abandoned and confiscated
property.
(9) The records of the Freedmen's Bureau are a vital source
of information for historians and genealogists.
(10) These records contain a wide range of data about the
African-American experience during slavery and freedom,
including in marriage records, labor contracts, Government
rations and back pay records, and indentured contracts for
minors.
[[Page H10461]]
(11) These records are maintained in Alabama, Arkansas, the
District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Maryland, Delaware, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
(12) All of these records are originals and, because they
are deteriorating, require immediate attention.
(13) These records are an important link for African-
Americans to their slave and African ancestors.
(14) Preserving the records of the Freedmen's Bureau is a
high priority for millions of Americans interested in Civil
War and post-Civil War era history.
SEC. 3. PRESERVATION OF FREEDMEN'S BUREAU RECORDS.
(a) In General.--Chapter 29 of title 44, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 2910. Preservation of Freedmen's Bureau Records
``The Archivist shall preserve the records of the Bureau of
Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, commonly referred to
as the `Freedmen's Bureau', by using--
``(1) available technology for restoration of the documents
comprising these records so that they can be maintained for
future generations; and
``(2) innovative imaging and indexing technologies to make
these records easily accessible to the public, including
historians, genealogists, novice genealogy enthusiasts, and
students.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 29 of title 44, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new item:
``2910. Preservation of freedmen's bureau records.''.
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute Offered by Mr. Horn
Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
The Clerk read as follows:
Amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Mr.
Horn:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Freedmen's Bureau Records
Preservation Act of 2000''.
SEC. 2. PRESERVATION OF FREEDMEN'S BUREAU RECORDS.
(a) In General.--Chapter 29 of title 44, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 2910. Preservation of Freedmen's Bureau records
``The Archivist shall preserve the records of the Bureau of
Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, commonly referred to
as the `Freedmen's Bureau', by using--
``(1) microfilm technology for preservation of the
documents comprising these records so that they can be
maintained for future generations; and
``(2) the results of the pilot project with the University
of Florida to create future partnerships with Howard
University and other institutions for the purposes of
indexing these records and making them more easily accessible
to the public, including historians, genealogists, and
students, and for any other purposes determined by the
Archivist.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 29 of title 44, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new item:
``2910. Preservation of Freedmen's Bureau records.''.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
section 2910 of title 44, United States Code (as added by
section 2), a total of $3,000,000 for fiscal years 2001
through 2005.
Mr. HORN (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that the amendment in the nature of a substitute be considered as read
and printed in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the amendment in the
nature of a substitute offered by the gentleman from California (Mr.
Horn).
The amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the
table.
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