The purpose of the Freedmen's Bureau, formally known as the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, was to aid newly freed slaves during the Reconstruction era in the United States following the Civil War. The organization helped to provide food, shelter, medical care, and education to millions of African Americans and other marginalized groups who were transitioning from slavery to freedom. The Bureau also assisted in securing legal rights and enforcing contracts for former slaves, as well as managing the distribution of land and resources to those in need. Overall, the goal of the Freedmen's Bureau was to facilitate the successful transition of enslaved persons to free citizens, and to help them establish lives of dignity and independence.
