Do you know them?: maintaining Black family bonds during Reconstruction

Abstract

Freedom, for freed people in the United States, could take several forms, but the reunification of family was a priority for most, if not all. The federal government, their resources, and the state government, though tasked with aiding the reunification process during Reconstruction provided little support and often prevented the reunification process with laws and societal expectations thrust on freed people. I analyze the federal and state government’s role in the reunification process, and freed people’s response to their intervention, through three methods: marriage, child apprenticeship, and information wanted advertisements published in the newspapers. The tenacious attitude to maintain and rekindle relationships lost by slavery are a significant Africanism found in the freed population and crucial to their survival after slavery.