MARCH 3, 1865
To help former slaves, Congress set up the Freedman's Bureau in 1865. It handed out food and clothing to needy Black people. It helped build schools where ex-slaves could learn to read and write. The bureau also tried to protect the rights of Black people, especially in the southern states, where a series of laws were passed called BLACK CODES. These laws were almost as bad as slavery. They denied Black people the right to vote or to serve on juries. The Black Codes made it a crime for Black people to quit their jobs. Black people who did not have jobs could be arrested and made to work on plantations.
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