Black Codes Overview Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What laws were passed following the Civil War?

  • Reconstruction Acts
  • Voting Rights Act
  • Black Codes (correct)
  • Civil Rights Amendments

    • What were the Black Codes?

    A series of statutes and laws enacted in 1865 and 1866 by the legislatures of the Southern states following the end of the Civil War.

    What did the Black Codes restrict?

    The freedom of black people (freedmen) and their rights to own property, conduct business, buy and lease land, and move freely.

    What was the purpose of the Black Codes?

    <p>To regain control over the freed slaves, inhibit their freedoms, prevent uprisings, ensure cheap labor, and maintain segregation and white supremacy.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What requirements did Black Codes enforce?

    <p>Poll taxes, property qualifications, and literacy tests.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are some examples of Black Codes?

    <p>White Primary, Poll Tax, Literacy Tests, Grandfather Clause, Property Ownership required to vote.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a White Primary?

    <p>The practice of keeping blacks from voting in southern states' primaries through arbitrary registration requirements and intimidation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    On what laws were most Black Codes based?

    <p>Vagrancy laws.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the first year a state implemented a poll tax?

    <p>1870 in Georgia.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    By what year did every state have a poll tax?

    <ol start="1889"> <li></li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a literacy test?

    <p>A test given to persons to prove they can read and write before being allowed to register to vote.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a Grandfather Clause?

    <p>A clause in registration laws allowing people who do not meet registration requirements to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a poll tax?

    <p>A fee that people had to pay in order to vote, often used to circumvent the 15th Amendment.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did the Black Codes lead to a system of penalties?

    <p>They led to penalties and punishments including Convict Leasing that put freed slaves back into forced labor.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who created the Black Codes?

    <p>White lawmakers in the South in the legislatures of states like Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and others.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When was the first of the Black Codes passed?

    <p>In Mississippi on November 22, 1865.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did the Black Codes deny rights?

    <p>Through Labor Contracts, Vagrancy Laws, Crimes and Punishments, Apprenticeships, and limited Civil Rights.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What were Labor Contracts under the Black Codes?

    <p>Legal documents for black 'servants' who agreed to work for white 'masters' with strict conditions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What pressure did Vagrancy Laws place on ex-slaves?

    <p>Pressure to sign labor contracts.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What powers did Vagrancy Laws grant to police?

    <p>The authority to arrest individuals merely on the suspicion of an illegal act.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What defined a vagrant under the Black Codes?

    <p>A person who, although fit to work, was without visible means of support or a permanent home.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What differentiated crimes and punishments between freedmen and whites?

    <p>Different levels and types of punishment, including chain gangs and convict leasing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the Courts' role under the Black Codes?

    <p>Racially segregated courts were established for black only cases.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did Congress respond to the Black Codes?

    <p>Congress refused to seat Southern representatives, overrode President Johnson, and passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Black Codes Overview

    • Black Codes were enacted in 1865 and 1866 in Southern states following the Civil War.
    • Aimed to restrict civil rights of freedmen and re-establish control over the freed slave population.

    Restrictions Imposed

    • Limited freedoms of freedmen: property ownership, business conduct, and movement in public spaces.
    • Encouraged segregation and maintained white supremacy in Southern society.

    Purpose of Black Codes

    • Intend to regain control over freed slaves and inhibit their freedoms.
    • Prevent black uprisings and ensure a supply of cheap labor for Southern economies.

    Enforcement Mechanisms

    • Requirements such as poll taxes, property qualifications, and literacy tests were instituted to limit voting rights.
    • Vagrancy laws required ex-slaves to prove employment or face penalties.

    Specific Laws and Practices

    • White primary system banned blacks from voting in primary elections via intimidation and arbitrary registration.
    • Poll taxes introduced in Georgia in 1870, and by 1889, every state adopted similar measures.

    Literacy Tests and Grandfather Clause

    • Literacy tests were used to assess reading and writing skills before voting registration.
    • Grandfather clause allowed some individuals to vote if their ancestors had voted before 1867, exempting them from literacy tests and taxes.

    Impact of Black Codes

    • Practices like convict leasing forced many freed slaves back into labor on plantations.
    • Courts and laws perpetuated racial segregation and unequal treatment under the law.

    Labor and Vagrancy Laws

    • Labor contracts required "servants" to be tightly controlled by "masters" with judicial oversight.
    • Vagrancy laws allowed arbitrary arrests of individuals presumed to be without employment or stable housing.

    Rights Denied to Freedmen

    • Civil rights of freedmen were systematically restricted in comparison to white citizens.
    • Racially segregated courts were established to handle cases involving black individuals.

    Congressional Response

    • Congress did not seat Southern representatives due to the Black Codes.
    • Overrode President Johnson to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and established a Joint Committee on Reconstruction for investigation.

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    Description

    Test your knowledge on the Black Codes enacted in the Southern United States post-Civil War. This quiz covers their purpose, restrictions imposed on freedmen, and enforcement mechanisms. Understand the implications these laws had on civil rights and societal structure.

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