The main way in which the white Southerners attempted to
limit black freedom in the years soon after the Civil War was through laws known as the
Black Codes. Below are two links to articles about the Black Codes that give many
details as to what those laws said.
One of the most
important ways that the laws did this was to force blacks to work for whites. For
example, Mississippi's laws said that blacks had to have a one-year contract by the
start of each year to work for someone. They had to honor that contract. If they did
not, they could be hunted down and forced to return to their "employers." It was also a
crime to help any "runaway"--to give them food or shelter or help them to find a
job.
By doing things like this, the white Southerners tried
to ensure that blacks would be forced to work for them. There were other provisions
that worked to limit the rights of blacks. Please follow the links to read more about
them.
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