The Freedmen's Bureau was established by Congress after the Civil War to assist freed slaves and poor whites in the South with food, clothing, medicine and other supplies. It also established schools for African Americans and helped legalize marriages. However, it lacked sufficient funds and faced political opposition. The Ku Klux Klan formed in the South during Reconstruction as a means to resist Northern efforts to establish rights for blacks. Through intimidation, violence and murder, the KKK targeted blacks, Republicans, and the Freedmen's Bureau to reinstate white supremacy in the South. While the Freedmen's Bureau aimed to help former slaves, the KKK used terrorism to undermine Reconstruction and restore Democratic rule.

1. The KKK & The Freedmen’s
Bureau
8th grade
Georgia History
Ms. White/ Ms. Palmer

2. •The student will – Compare & Contrast the goals
& outcomes of the KKK and The Freedmen’s
Bureau.

3. The Freedmen's Bureau, was established in 1865 by
Congress to help former black slaves and poor whites in the
South in the aftermath of the U.S. Civil War. This
organization gave food, clothing, medicine, and other
supplies to freed slaves. (1861-65)
The Freedman’s Bureau created the first African- American
school in 1865 in Savannah, Georgia. During
Reconstruction, Georgia had a higher population of African-
Americans than any other state.
The Freedmen’s Bureau created some racial tension in the
south as poor blacks and whites fought for resources and
jobs provided by the Bureau.
Reconstruction (1867-1877):

4. • During its years of operation, the Freedmen’s Bureau fed millions of
people, built hospitals and provided medical aid, negotiated labor
contracts for ex-slaves and settled labor disputes. It also helped former
slaves legalize marriages and locate lost relatives, and assisted black
veterans. The bureau also was instrumental in building thousands of
schools for blacks, and helped to found such colleges as Howard
University in Washington, D.C., Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee,
and Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia.
• However, the bureau was prevented from fully carrying out its programs
due to a shortage of funds and personnel, along with the politics of race
and Reconstruction. In 1872, Congress, in part under pressure from
white Southerners, shut the bureau down.

6. Many freed slaves and poor whites became Tenant Farmers
or Sharecroppers to make a living after the Civil War.
Tenant farmers- A family rented a portion of land and owned
the crops they grew (still found it difficult to get ahead in life).
Most tenant farmers owned animals, supplies, and equipment.
Sharecropping- Agreed to farm a portion of a white landowner's
land in return for housing and a share of the crop (many were
cheated and went into debt) Very poor, didn’t own anything.

8. The Ku Klux Klan
The KKK extended into almost every southern state by 1870
and became a vehicle for white southern resistance to the
Republican Party’s Reconstruction-era policies aimed at
establishing political and economic equality for blacks.
Its members waged an underground campaign of
intimidation and violence directed at white and black
Republican leaders. Though Congress passed legislation
designed to curb Klan terrorism.
The organization saw its primary goal–the reestablishment
of white supremacy–fulfilled through Democratic victories
in state legislatures across the South in the 1870s

9. Reconstruction in Georgia:-Founded in 1865 by former Confederate General
Nathan Bedford Forrest
- The KKK became a means for
Southerners to resist the North’s
reconstruction efforts.
- Used scare tactics, terror methods,
violence, and murder to intimidate
blacks, Republicans, members of
the Freedmen’s Bureau, etc.
-Burning crosses and staging rallies, parades and marches
denouncing immigrants, Catholics, Jews, African-Americans
and organized labor. The civil rights movement of the 1960s
also saw a surge of Ku Klux Klan activity, including bombings
of black schools and churches and violence against black and
white activists in the South.
- Helped white Democrats regain
control of the South during and after
Reconstruction
The Ku Klux Klan

10. KKK FACTS
• Claim to be a Christian organization
• Burned crosses to signify their faith in Christ “Cross
lighting”.
• Wore hoods to disguise their appearance/ to appear as
ghost
• Most KKK members were veteran confederate soldiers.