Final answer:
The restrictive laws enacted by Southern states after the Civil War to limit the freedoms of newly freed slaves were known as Black Codes. These laws significantly influenced the development of federal civil rights legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Legal statutes and constitutional amendments enacted by the ex-Confederate states following the Civil War that sought to restrict the liberties of newly freed slaves were called Black Codes. These discriminatory laws were aimed to preserve White supremacy and impose restrictions on African Americans by limiting their rights and freedoms such as voting, jury service, land ownership, and employment, in effect trying to maintain the pre-emancipation status quo.
The role of the Black Codes was significant in leading Congress to pass the first Civil Rights Act in 1866 in order to recognize the citizenship of African Americans and contradict the Dred Scott decision that declared Black people could never be citizens. The passage of the Fourteenth Amendment was also a direct response to these codes and aimed to secure the rights of the freedmen on a constitutional level.