The Freedmen's Bureau Bill was passed on March 3, 1865. The bill provided for the creation of a Freedman's Bureau, which was tasked with assisting former slaves and destitute whites after the Civil War.

The bill was significant because of what it accomplished. First, it represented a concrete implementation of the 13th Amendment (passed by the Senate in April 1864 and the House in January 1865). The 13th amendment was eventually ratified by the states on December 6, 1865. It abolished slavery in the United States, and the Freedman's Bureau Bill provided for the welfare of former slaves and poor whites in accordance with the sentiment of the 13th amendment. The provisions of the 1865 bill were valid for one year.

The bill was also significant because it was the first time the United States government held a significant stake in the areas of social issues and labor relations.

For its part, the Freedman's Bureau provided food, shelter, legal assistance, employment assistance, and education to millions of marginalized citizens in the South. Please refer to the links below to read more about this.

The Freedman's Bureau had its detractors, of course, but none so surprising as President Andrew Johnson, a Democrat.

President Johnson pardoned many former Confederate officials and removed Freedman's Bureau employees he felt were too sympathetic to the black cause. Despite conflicts between President Johnson and the Radical Republicans, the Freedman's Bureau Act of 1866 became law (after the 1865 bill expired), and the provisions for former slaves and poor whites extended for another two years.