Fisk University, founded in 1866 as the Fisk School, was one of several historically black colleges established with support of the Freedmen’s Bureau. Its goal was to train much-needed teachers for southern schools.
Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives and Records Administration
Fisk University Course Catalog, Nashville, Tennessee, 1868-69
Educating the Emancipated
In 1865, Congress created the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, known as the Freedmen’s Bureau, to provide for the needs of former slaves. Operating under the War Department, the Freedmen’s Bureau assisted with food, medical care, employment and education. To meet the tremendous demand among the newly emancipated for schools and instruction the Bureau found buildings suitable for classrooms and worked with other aid organizations to recruit teachers. By 1866, more than 100,000 African Americans throughout the South attended Freedmen’s Bureau schools.
Fisk University, founded in 1866 as the Fisk School, was one of several historically black colleges established with support of the Freedmen’s Bureau. Its goal was to train much-needed teachers for southern schools.
Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives and Records Administration
