Question

Why did the government's attempt to redistribute land to freedmen fail?

Answer 1

The freed men's Bureau did redistribute large amounts of land to freedmen in some areas from wealthy southern planters and from abandoned plantations. Southern planters began to return and demand their land back, and vey few republicans wanted to live where the government could arbitrarily confiscate land from people, so much of the land was given back to its original owners

Answer 2

The Freeman's Bureau was formed in 1865 by the congress for helping the former black slaves and poor white people in the southern states after the civil war. The bureau provided housing, medical aid and food, offered legal assistance and established schools. It also worked for the resettlement of the former slaves on the confiscated and abandoned land. The bureau was unsuccessful in its programs because of the shortage of funds, racial politics and reconstruction. The bureau faced resistance since its beginning by southern planters and politicians such as Andrew Johnson, he even vetoed the bill which was meant to extend the bureau's power and tenure and giving it legal powers. Even the congress supporters were divided about the function of the bureau. So all these hurdles hampered the land distribution. Most of the lands were restored to the original owners and very few black people received lands.