Oliver O. Howard

Few southern blacks had access to education prior to the Civil War; while some slaves learned to read and write, many slave masters forbid such endeavors. However, during Reconstruction, 9 million dollars were spent on schools and teachers for the newly freed slaves. More than half of these funds came from the Freedmen’s Bureau, an agency founded in March 1865 to help refugees and freed slaves. In the following viewpoint General Oliver O. Howard, the commissioner of the Freedmen’s Bureau, asserts that these new educational opportunities are beneficial to southern blacks. He explains that blacks are capable of becoming educated and are eager to learn. Howard adds that these schools provide training for African Americans who aim to become lawyers, doctors, teachers, and other skilled professionals. He concludes that higher education for freed slaves should...