On June 30, 1863, the American Freedmen’s Inquiry Commission issued its report to U.S. Secretary of War E.M. Stanton on the "character and condition of the Negro population, who, from all quarters find refuge within our lines..." This report led to the creation of the Freedmen’s Bureau in 1865, supporting schools for children freed from slavery and assisting those separated from their families during slavery.

To read the Commission’s report, click here.