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Southern Homestead Act of 1862
46 million acres of southern, public land was available for sale. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was signed which freed many slaves. -
Freedmens Bureau
President Lincoln signed a Congressional Law which created the "Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands". They helped the ex-slaves my distributing food, clothing, and resources. -
Oliver Howard
Major General Oliver Howard took command over the bureau as te commisioner and continued to serve in tat position until the agency was disbanned. -
Bureaus Power
During the month of February, congress enlarged the bureaus powers by overriding two presidential vetos so they could enforce laws, collect taxes, and use the military. -
Segregation
New leaders took control of congress in march of 1870. -
Bureau Disbanned
The "Bureau of Refuees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands" was disanned. The burueau helped many freedmen find jobs by writting 50,000 labor contracts and tried to enforce them and regulate them. -
New Leaders
throughout 1877, the new leaders that took over congress took government troops out of the south, soon after the African Americans were forced out.