Graphic of part of the Emancipation Proclamation
Rights and POwer: The POlitics of Reconstruction
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"The Freedman's Bureau," 1866. (Library of Congress)

"The Freedman's Bureau," 1866.
(Library of Congress)

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The national debate over reconstruction, and in particular, the Freedman's Bureau, is evident in a campaign broadside from Pennsylvania's gubernatorial campaign of 1866.

This cartoon's racist imagery played upon public fears that government assistance would benefit indolent freedmen at the expense of white workers.
Copyright 2003
he Meaning of Freedom: Black and White Responses to Slavery From Free Labor to Slave Labor Rights and Power: The Politics of Reconstruction The Ending of Reconstruction Epilogue: The Unfinished Revolution Additional Resources Credits for this Exhibit Link to return to Digital History Home Link to return to Reconstruction Home Introduction