Why Was it Created?

The Freedmen's Bureau, officially the U.S. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, was created in 1865 to help former slaves and poor whites in the aftermath of the devastation of the Civil War. After the Civil War roughly four million slaves were emancipated; however, this left the economy in shambles because there was nobody to work the land. Hence there were poor whites, for their capital was depleted. Most of the slaves who had been freed didn't have a place to go - they just ran away. After the slave got over the initial happiness of being free, they realized that they were in a better situation, but it still wasn't good. While they were slaves they at least got a very overcrowded house, and scraps of food that their owners left them, as freed slaves, many of them were equivalent to abandoned children. They lacked the skills necessary to lead a successful life. Also, in many cases, the land owners had countless acres that they didn't have the man power to work, or they couldn't financially afforded, so the lands were abandoned as well. Many people wanted land because land yields power, but who should rightfully have the land? Thus, the Freedmen's Bureau was created to solve the many problems that the Post-Civil War South encountered. 

What Types of Services Did it Provide?

The Freedmen's Bureau provided a variety of services. The main functions of the Bureau were to provide relief, housing, medical aid, legal assistance, education, and to redistribute land that was lost or abandoned. These services sounded great in Congress, but many of the services were not carried out to their full extent due to aggression from those who were still bitter about the loss of their lifestyle. The early days of the Freedmen's Bureau were much more successful that the later days because their was less opposition. Some of the services were unsuccessful a discontinued, but other services like the redistribution of land were very successful, for a period of time, such as the land redistribution services. In one year, around ten-thousand people attained land, and over four-hundred thousand acres were distributed. This service was by far the most controversial, for land was property, and people didn't want to give up their property to people that they hated.  Without the Bureau, this would have been nearly impossible. Other successful services that the Bureau provided were large amounts of eduction giving former slaves some type of opportunity to take steps towards equality, medical aid, and the Bureau even helped with "trivial matters" like marriage. Without the valiant efforts, and success, of the Freedmen's Bureau, who knows were former slaves, and the United States of America in general, would be today. 

The Downfall of the Bureau

The Freedmen's Bureau was an uplifting Bureau that inspired and gave hope to many people, but as with everything, there will always be someone who is unhappy. Dissent and protest from whites who were affected, and even those who were prejudice, made it very hard for the Bureau to continue doing the good deeds that they strove to do. There was even opposition from President Andrew Jackson concerning land that was redistributed. As time went on, there was increasing pressure on the Bureau. Many people wanted to establish a permanent bureau to aid blacks, but at the time this idea was close to insane because of all of the disagreements and controversy. Due to a lack of funding, workers, support, and resistance,  the Bureau was shut down in 1872 to the dismay of many whom it affected. Even though the Bureau did not ultimately work out, it kept hope alive for those who were oppressed, or simply needed help. 

sources 

“Freedmen's Bureau.” 2012. The History Channel website. Dec 13 2012, 11:02 http://www.history.com/topics/freedmens-bureau.

United States. National Archives. Freedmen's Bureau, 1865-1872. Washington, D.C.: , Print. <http://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/freedmens-bureau/>.

Whaples, Robert. "The Freedmen's Bureau." EH.net. 2010. <http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/troost.freedmens.bureau>.