Final answer:
The term for forcing someone to sign a contract is coercion. Contracts signed under coercion may lack free consent and, therefore, be void or voidable. Black codes during the Reconstruction era in the United States employed coercive methods to bind formerly enslaved people to contracts, restricting their labor freedom.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct term for forcing someone to sign a contract is coercion. When a person is compelled to enter into a contract against their will or under threats, it undermines the validity of the agreement. In the context of labor history, particularly during the Reconstruction era, black codes were used to coercively bind formerly enslaved people to labor contracts. This was achieved through tactics like debt bondage, where the inability to pay back loans would result in forced labor, or forcing them to sign contracts that restricted their freedom to choose their employer or negotiate for better wages or conditions.
If a contract is signed under coercion, that contract may be void or voidable. This means that the contract lacks the element of free consent and may not be legally enforceable. Coercion corrupts the consent necessary for a legally binding agreement, hence any contract signed under such circumstances could be considered invalid or illegal.