What were the primary purposes of Black Codes in the Reconstruction era?

• A. Expand voting rights
• B. Create universal public schooling
• C. Restrict rights of Black people
• D. Prohibit labor contracts

Answer: (C)

Black Codes were designed to restore and protect a racial hierarchy by limiting the freedoms and rights of newly freed Black people. Southern states enacted these laws to control movement, labor, and civic life, ensuring a steady, inexpensive labor force and maintaining white supremacy in a society reshaped by emancipation. They used tools like vagrancy laws, labor contracts, restrictions on testifying in court, and limits on political participation to curb Black autonomy and keep social and economic control in white hands. That is why the primary purpose is to restrict rights and authority of Black people, not to expand their rights, promote universal schooling, or prohibit labor arrangements in a way that undermines white oversight.