3. Black Codes: The First Legal Roadblocks
After the Civil War, Southern states enacted Black Codes—laws designed to control the movement, labor, and behavior of newly freed African Americans. These codes closely resembled earlier slave laws, restricting everything from employment opportunities to property rights. By criminalizing minor infractions and limiting freedoms, Black Codes effectively restored white dominance and set the stage for the Jim Crow era. Explore their origins and consequences at History.com.
