Walk as children of light. – Ephesians 5:8
It was on this day in 1865 that Congress passed “An Act to establish a Bureau for the Relief of Freedmen and Refugees,” but it became law on July 16, 1866. Established by Abraham Lincoln and the War Department, this bureau was designed to provide shelter, medical services, clothing, food, and land to displaced Southerners, including the recently emancipated African Americans. The Freedmen’s Bureau (officially known as the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands) was to function “during the present war of rebellion, and for one year thereafter” as well as develop schools, manage employment contracts between freedmen and employers, and oversee seized or abandoned lands. After the war, President Andrew Johnson and Congress struggled to define the responsibilities of Reconstruction and the function of the bureau. It was disbanded in 1872.
As the Lord leads, pray with us…
- For members of Congress as they approve bureaus and agencies in the federal government to handle current affairs.
- For officials in the president’s administration to seek the Lord for direction as they fill their roles.
