"A small lot of land…"
With this agreement, Wm. G. Brounlory, special agent of the Treasury Department, leased a small lot of land to L.J. Coker. The Freedmen’s Bureau was responsible...
"The glorious voice"
By 1939, African-American singer Marian Anderson had toured Europe impressing crowds and composers alike. But in this country, she was banned from many concert halls...
"they want to send their children to school"
Teachers reported to the Freedmen’s Bureau monthly listing information such as the number of students enrolled in their school, sources of financial support, and...
$4 a month
Following the Civil War, the Federal Government established the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands to aid former slaves. One of the services this...
Plessy v. Ferguson
Issued on May 18, 1896, this Supreme Court decision upheld a Louisiana state law that allowed for "equal but separate accommodations for the white and colored races"...
A baby’s baptism
In August 1973, John H. White photographed a baptism at the Church of the Messiah in Chicago, Illinois, as part of his Documerica assignment about African...
A day in the life of Harlem
This street scene attempted to showcase everyday life in Harlem, New York. Until its dissolution in 1999, the U.S. Information Agency used photographs like this in...