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What effects did Black codes, including vagrancy laws, have on society?

A) Promoted civil rights
B) Enhanced economic equality
C) Restricted the freedom of African Americans
D) Encouraged political participation

User Dimuth
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Final answer:

Black codes, including vagrancy laws, were designed to restrict the freedom of African Americans by denying them fundamental rights and enforcing a system of bound labor akin to slavery, contributing to long-term social and economic inequality.

Step-by-step explanation:

The effects that Black codes, including vagrancy laws, had on society were to restrict the freedom of African Americans after the Civil War. Legislation known as Black codes was enacted by Southern states to impose social and economic control over African Americans. While these laws granted some rights, like the right to own property, to marry, and to make contracts, they also denied fundamental rights such as serving on juries, recognizing black testimony against white people, and creating severe vagrancy laws which criminalized black leisure and limited mobility. The intended effect was to re-establish a system of bound labor, similar to slavery by another name. These codes had long-lasting implications, contributing to the perpetuation of poverty and inequality in African American communities.

User Houqp
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