Silver Lining: The Freedmen's Bureau and Bank: Although the Civil War was a tragic period in U.S. history, the Emancipation Proclamation and the establishment of the Freedman's Bank and Freedmen's Bureau were great steps forward for African Americans. This Ancestry article explains how the Bank and Bureau gave assistance to Blacks in Southern states after the war, creating millions of associated records of many types. To learn more about the Freedman's Bank and Freedmen's Bureau, see Goal 4 in the African American page. (See all tips.)