"All freedmen, free negroes and mulattoes in this State, over the age of eighteen years, found on the second Monday in January, 1866, or thereafter, with no lawful employment or business... shall be deemed vagrants, and on conviction thereof shall be fined... and if cannot pay, shall be hired out to the person who will pay the fine."
— Mississippi Vagrant Law, 1865
Which of the following was a primary goal of Southern state legislatures in passing laws such as the one in the excerpt?
- To maintain a system of coerced agricultural labor and social control over formerly enslaved peopleAnswer
- BTo assist newly freed African Americans in securing citizenship rights under the Fourteenth Amendment
- CTo facilitate the immediate withdrawal of federal troops and establish political home rule
- DTo apply the principle of popular sovereignty to local labor and property disputes
Answer
To maintain a system of coerced agricultural labor and social control over formerly enslaved people
The correct answer is correct because the Black Codes, including the vagrancy laws, were specifically designed by Southern states to restrict the social and economic mobility of African Americans. By requiring proof of employment and hiring out those who could not pay vagrancy fines, these laws effectively forced formerly enslaved people back into coerced labor on white-owned plantations.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The creation of Black Codes by Southern state legislatures immediately after the Civil War was a major form of resistance to Reconstruction, aimed at preserving white supremacy and forcing formerly enslaved people back into dependent labor relationships.
Hints
1
Recall the historical context of late 1865. The Civil War had just ended, and Southern state governments were dominated by former Confederates who wanted to maintain control over the agricultural workforce.
Estimated Time:45s