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I deliberately have chosen not to spend much time exploring the Reconstruction period because Black freedom (?) only lasted 10 years as the “anti-slavery” Republicans capitulated to the pro-slavery south’s need for cheap labor. Definition and Summary: The Black Codes were a series of statutes and laws enacted in 1865 and 1866 by the legislatures of the Southern states of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and North Carolina following the end of the Civil War at the beginning of the Reconstruction Era. The Black Codes were created to restrict the freedom of ex-slaves in the South. What were the Black Codes?The Black Codes were laws that were introduced in the Southern States restricting the freedom of black people (freedmen) and the right to own property, conduct business, buy and lease land, and move freely through public spaces such as Southern towns. The Freedom of ex-slaves was restricted in numerous ways including:
● Permission to travel Why were the Black Codes passed? After the Civil War and the passing of the 13th Amendment over 4 million slaves in the Southern states were given their freedom. This led to a massive labor shortage on the plantations. It also meant that southern state governments were now responsible for the ex-slaves who had previously been completely under the control of slave owners. Having left the slavery of the plantations many Black Americans were left without permanent homes or work. The Southerners were frightened that the freed slaves would seek revenge and feared for their families and their homes. They began to look for ways to exercise control. Some took the law into their own hands turning to Vigilantism using force to protect their lives and property which led to the establishment of secret organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan. Others wanted to maintain the legal route and began passing laws to restrict the ex-slaves new found freedom. The Black Codes included new employment laws, requirements to pay taxes and strict Vagrancy Laws with requirements for travel passes. What was the Purpose of the Black Codes? ● Regain control over the freed slaves The Black Codes, which included Vagrancy Laws, led to a system of penalties and punishments including Convict Leasing that put freed slaves back into forced labor on the plantations. 
Who Created the Black Codes? White Southerners resented being ruled by Union military governors and officials of the Freedmen’s Bureau and the objective was to restore self-rule. In 1865, most of the old Confederate states held constitutional conventions. Only white people were allowed to vote for convention delegates or to participate in the framing of the new state governments and constitutions. The Black Codes were created by white lawmakers in the South in the legislatures of the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
How did the Black Codes deny rights? Follow @ american-historama.org |
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