2. Black Codes and Vagrancy Laws
In the aftermath of the Civil War, Southern states enacted Black Codes and vagrancy laws to restrict the freedom of newly emancipated Black Americans. These laws made it a crime to be unemployed, loiter, or fail to show “proof of employment”—offenses almost exclusively enforced against Black people. The result was a surge in arrests and incarceration, providing a steady labor force for private interests and state projects. For further details and examples, visit History.com.
