The Southern Claims Commission Records

The records created by the Southern Claims Commission provides a wealth of information. In 1871, Congress established the Southern Claims Commission to compensate southerners who had been loyal to the Union during the Civil War for property taken or destroyed by the Union Army. Claimants had to answer a lengthy set of questions pertaining to their losses. These records also include testimonies from relatives, neighbors, friends, former slaves, and free people of color as the claimants had to support their stories. There is much information to be learned from these records about individuals living in the South during the Civil War. Learn how to access this unique set of records by watching the video on the Southern Claims Commission.

This program is pre-recorded. View it below.