This article discusses the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (Freedmen's Bureau), which was established by the Congress on March 3, 1865, to assist former slaves in acquiring land, securing employment, legalizing marriages, and pursuing education. After the bureau's abolition through an act of Congress approved on June 10, 1872, the records of the Freedmen's Bureau became part of the holdings of the National Archives and Records Administration. These records reveal a great deal about Reconstruction, the first comprehensive government "social service" agency, and the transition of African Americans from enslavement, through emancipation, to citizenship. Here, the author features four documents that provide an engaging entry point for learning and teaching about the Freedmen's Bureau. He also presents suggested teaching activities about the Freedmen's Bureau, which correlate to the National Standards for U.S. History, Era 5, Standards 3a-3c, 4a, and 5a. (Contains 7 notes.)