[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.

                          ____________________