In honor of Black History Month, Ancestry.com has released the following databases:

U.S. Southern Claims Commission Master Index, 1871-1880
This database contains a complete index to all claims filed with the Southern Claims Commission, even those which were appealed. Gary Mills has combined all available indexes, created since these records were made public, into one. In it you will find all the information you will need to locate the case file.

U.S. Southern Claims Commission, Allowed Claims, 1871-1880
This database contains files of allowed claims filed with the Southern Claims Commission. Information available in the claim files can vary from packet to packet, but many of the files are very rich in genealogical information.

U.S. Southern Claims Commission, Disallowed and Barred Claims, 1871-1880
This database contains an index to all claims Disallowed & Barred Claims, filed with the Southern Claims Commission. Information available in the claim files can vary from packet to packet, but many of the files are very rich in genealogical information.

U.S. Freedmen Bureau Records of Field Offices, 1865-1872 (Updated)
This database contains an index to all claims Disallowed & Barred Claims, filed with the Southern Claims Commission. Information available in the claim files can vary from packet to packet, but many of the files are very rich in genealogical information.

U.S. Freedmen’s Marriage Records, 1861-1869 
This database contains Freedmen Bureau marriage records from 1861-1869. Record types include: marriage certificates, marriage licenses, monthly reports of marriages, and other proofs of marriage. Information listed in these records may include: the names of the bride and groom, their ages, date of marriage, and marriage place.

Image: The Misses Cooke’s school room, Freedman’s Bureau, Richmond, Va. / from a sketch by Jas. E. Taylor. (from the Library of Congress Photo Collection at Ancestry.com) Click on the image to enlarge it.