Reconstruction and the Rise of Jim Crow

These miscellaneous files from the National Archives and Records Administration contain primary source material related to the aftermath of the US Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Rise of Jim Crow Segregation in the states of Louisiana and Alabama. They include correspondence of the Justice Department concerning acts of violence and extralegal activities; records of the Freedmen’s Bureau and the 1900 Census Schedules.

Letters Sent by the Department of Justice: General and Miscellaneous 1818-1904
On the 8l rolls of this microfilm publication are reproduced 91 volumes (general and miscellaneous letter books) containing copies of letters sent by the Office of the Attorney General, 1818-70, and by its successor, the Department of Justice, 1870-190^. They are addressed to the President, officers and Members of Congress, Federal departments, judges, district attorneys, marshals, clerks of courts, State officials, and private citizens. The letters sent by the Office of the Attorney General are part of the series of Attorney General’s Papers, 1790-1870 (only a few items earlier than l8l8). The RIAS holds reel 14 t/m 16 (vol. I t/m L).
FINDING AID: Letters Sent by the Department of Justice: General and Miscellaneous 1818-1904

Letters Sent by the Department of Justice to Judges and Clerks 1874-1904
On the 34 rolls of microfilm publication are reproduced 34 volumes (letter books) containing copies of letters sent by the Department of Justice, 1874-1904, to judges and clerks of Federal and Territorial courts. Most of the letters concern matters such as transmitting volumes of court reports, supplying transcripts of records in cases, and settling accounts, but some relate to such subjects as charges against judges and other court officials, the policy of judges on the bench, qualifications of applicants for judicial officers, the need for legislation, and the
relationship between the judges and the Attorney General in the interpretation of law. Before 1874 letters similar to these were included among the series of general and miscellaneous letters and the series of letters concerning judiciary expenses. The RIAS holds reel 1 (vol. 1).
FINDING AID: Letters Sent by the Department of Justice to Judges and Clerks 1874-1904

Records of the Field Offices for the State of Louisiana Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands 1863-1872
On the 111 rolls of this microfilm publication, M1905, are reproduced the records of the staff officers of the Assistant Commissioner and the subordinate field offices of the Louisiana headquarters of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1863–1872. These records consist of bound volumes and unbound records containing materials that include letters sent and received, monthly reports, registers of complaints, labor contracts, and other records relating to freedmen’s claims and bounty payments. These records are part of the Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, Record Group (RG) 105. The RIAS holds reel 7, 8, 35, 52, 53, 54, 89, 100, 101 and 102.
FINDING AID:Records of the Field Offices for the State of Louisiana
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands 1863-1872

1900 Census Schedules Alabama, Jefferson County 
The 1900 census schedules are arranged by state or territory and thereunder by county. In some instances the names of large cities also appear. The RIAS holds reel 21 (Alabama, Jefferson County).
FINDING AID: 1900 Census Schedules Alabama, Jefferson County

Records of the Assistance Commissioner for the State of Alabama Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1870
On the 23 rolls of this microfilm publication are reproduced the records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of Alabama, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-70. The records consist of 17 volumes and some unbound documents. The volumes include letters, reports, endorsements, and telegrams sent; orders issued; and registers of letters received. The unbound records include letters, reports, and issuances received. The records are part of the Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, Record Group 105. The RIAS holds reel 1 and 18.
FINDING AID: Records of the Assistance Commissioner for the State of Alabama Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1870

General Records of the Department of Justice Letters Received by the Department of Justice from the State of Louisiana 1871-1884
On the six rolls of this microfilm publication are reproduced unbound letters, with their enclosures, that were received by the Department of Justice from the State of Louisiana during the period January 1871-August 1884. The series of records of which this correspondence forms a part is known as the source-chronological files of the Justice Department. This publication also includes a register of correspondence relating to Louisiana and several series of miscellaneous letters, telegrams, and newspaper clippings pertaining to Louisiana affairs, filed separately from the correspondence in the source-chronological files. The RIAS holds reel 2,3,4,5 and 6.
FINDING AID: General Records of the Department of Justice Letters Received by the Department of Justice from the State of Louisiana 1871-1884