The Southern “Black Codes” of 1865-66

The end of the Civil War marked the end of slavery for 4 million black Southerners. But the war also left them landless and with little money to support themselves. White Southerners, seeking to control the freedmen (former enslaved persons), devised special state law codes. Many Northerners saw these codes as blatant attempts to restore slavery. For more Common Core U.S. History resources, visit http://crf-usa.org/online-lessons-index/free-lessons-index.html