Final answer:
Historian C. Vann Woodward noted that rigid racial segregation in the South did not become codified into law until the 1890s with the enactment of Jim Crow laws. This period, known as the 'nadir of race relations,' saw the reinforcement of white supremacy through legal and extra-legal means, despite the end of slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to historian C. Vann Woodward, black and white Southerners were relatively free of the rigidly codified racial segregation that characterized the later Jim Crow era until the 1890s. This period was marked as the 'nadir of race relations,' with the establishment of Jim Crow laws and persistent attempts to disenfranchise black voters. During this time, segregation was more a matter of custom rather than law, resulting in a social rather than legal division between races. However, the introduction of segregation laws in the 1890s suggested that African Americans in the South had begun to become more assertive and economically self-sufficient, enabling some to challenge the racial status quo.
Despite newfound freedoms post-slavery, such as rebuilding families and owning property, African Americans faced systems of bound labor well into the 20th century. These included vagrancy laws and the convict-lease system, which allowed for the arrest and forced labor of innocent black men and women, a new form of slavery that persisted until World War II. While the freedom from slavery was a significant change, the struggle for equality continued through the enforcement of laws and acts of violence meant to maintain white supremacy.