Final answer:
The Black codes were discriminatory state laws enacted in southern states after the abolition of slavery. They aimed to maintain the social and economic structure of racial slavery by restricting the rights of freed enslaved people. These codes tied formerly enslaved people to the land, limited their mobility, and criminalized their leisure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Black codes were a series of discriminatory state laws enacted in southern states between 1865 and 1866. These codes were designed to maintain the social and economic structure of racial slavery even after slavery was abolished. The Black codes enforced various requirements such as restricting the civic participation of freed enslaved people, denying them the right to vote, serve on juries, own weapons, and rent or lease land.
A key aspect of the Black codes was the tying of formerly enslaved people to the land through forced contracts with employers, preventing them from working for multiple employers and influencing wages and conditions positively. These codes effectively criminalized black leisure, limited their mobility, and locked many into exploitative farming contracts.
The Black codes varied in content and severity from state to state, but their underlying goal was to maintain White supremacy and control over black labor and behavior.