Final answer:
After the Civil War, Southern states implemented Black Codes to restrict the rights of formerly enslaved persons, aiming to preserve racial hierarchy and provide cheap labor. These laws limited civic participation and economic freedom for African Americans, prompting federal legislative responses such as the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Fourteenth Amendment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Black Codes and Their Purpose
Following the Civil War, many Southern states enacted Black Codes to restrict the rights of formerly enslaved persons. These discriminatory laws were aimed at maintaining the social and economic structure of racial slavery, albeit without the institution itself. Black Codes ensured White supremacy by limiting the civic engagement of freed people, including the right to vote, the right to serve on juries, and the right to own or carry weapons, severely constraining their newfound freedom.
Furthermore, Black Codes aimed to provide a source of cheap labor similar to what was available during slavery. This was achieved through the imposition of vagrancy laws and other regulations that kept African Americans tied to the same plantations where they were previously enslaved. The Black Codes led to the establishment of Jim Crow laws and economically disadvantaged African Americans for generations to come.
Congress responded to the Black Codes by passing the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and drafting the Fourteenth Amendment, both designed to protect the rights of newly freed African Americans and combat the restrictive measures of the Southern states.