This book covers the history of the events surrounding the Freedman's Savings Bank, a private savings bank chartered by the U.S. Congress to collect deposits from the newly emancipated communities. Within 7 years of its formation, the bank opened 37 branches across 17 states and the District of Columbia and collected funds from over 67,000 depositors. At the height of its success, the Freedman's Savings Bank held assets worth more than $3.7 million in 1872 dollars, which translates to approximately $80 million in 2021. However, the rapid development of the bank was largely driven by false claims and was coupled with mismanagement and fraud. The bank failed in 1874, and a contributing factor to this was speculative loans issued by the bank's white officials throughout its existence.
