Which laws were passed by states to limit what slaves could do?
1 Answer
Some laws that were passed, which limited what slaves could do were the Black and Slave Codes.
Explanation:
During the years of slavery, many great and significant changes were occurring which left a great mark upon the lives of many African Americans and the history of the United States.
Moreover, during these time, laws were passed that restricted and oppressed the lives of many African Americans. Some of these laws consisted of the Black and Slave Codes.
In continuation, Black Codes were a series of restrictive laws which were designed to restrict freed black's activity and ensure their availability as a labor force now that slavery had been abolished.
An example of what this law could do was that it required blacks to sign yearly labor contracts and if they refused, they risked being arrested as vagrants and fined or forced into unpaid labor.
Furthermore, Slave Codes were state laws established to regulate the relationship between slave and owner as well as legitimize the institution of slavery. They were used to determine the status of slaves and the rights of their owners. In practice, these codes placed harsh restrictions on slave's already limited freedoms and gave slave owners absolute power over their slaves.
