Final answer:
The Freedmen's Bureau aided emancipated slaves by providing education, reuniting families, and facilitating labor contracts. It distributed basic necessities and contributed to the establishment of significant educational institutions for African Americans. Tax collection was not one of its functions.
Step-by-step explanation:
One way the Freedmen's Bureau helped formerly enslaved people transition to a life of freedom was by providing education, reuniting families, and helping freed individuals secure labor contracts. The Freedmen's Bureau, also known as the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, was established by Congress in March 1865 to provide relief and support for emancipated slaves. Through the efforts of the Bureau, many African Americans were able to attend public schools for both elementary and higher education, which led to the establishment of significant educational institutions like Fisk University, Hampton University, and Dillard University.
To address various urgent needs, the Bureau distributed food, clothing, and fuel. It also played a crucial role in enabling freedmen to formalize their marriages and provide legal protection for them. Even though it was initially envisioned as a temporary entity by Congress, the Freedmen's Bureau notably expanded the federal government's influence over state affairs and laid groundwork for the social and economic development of African Americans in the post-Civil War era.
The question to be answered, Which of the following was not one of the functions of the Freedmen's Bureau? has the correct answer of A. collecting taxes. The Bureau focused on family reunification, education, and labor contracts; it did not have a function related to tax collection.