Thursday, June 23, 2016

Freed and Un-Forgotten

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints issued a press release sharing the completion of the Freedmen’s Bureau digital indexing project they sponsored, making the records available that were collected following the civil war and the emancipation of enslaved persons in the U.S.  The records of the Freedmen’s Bureau provide a glimpse into the stories of those freed and their families.  Millions of slaves across the country were “freed” as a result of the 13th amendment in 1865 and the government set out to aid black citizens who were expected to go out and make a life for themselves after being held in bondage for more than 400 years.  This would be later known as the reconstruction or the reconstruction era.  Reconstruction resulted in the election of blacks in political offices and provided land ownership opportunities to some, but it was short lived and lasted for only 15 years.  Little is widely known about this period in American history and it is especially hard to find nonfiction or fiction books for young people that address the topic.  We went on a hunt to discover what is available for this audience. The list is inclusive of books that directly address reconstruction or the pursuit of freedom and equal rights following the civil war by lesser known heroes.  We hope to expand the list in the future as more titles are released.  If you would like to read the press release announcing the project completion of the Freedman’s Bureau project take a look here: Freedmen's Bureau Project  
Each title is linked to GoodReads , a site that includes reader reviews and links to find books in your local library, bookstore, or online book seller. Happy Reading!



No comments:

Post a Comment