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1865

institutional legislation

Mississippi Black Codes

Mississippi, MS · On map

Mississippi Black Codes
Mississippi Black Codes

In late 1865, Mississippi enacted the first of the Black Codes, laws designed to reestablish white supremacy and force freed slaves back into plantation labor under conditions similar to slavery. These codes severely limited the rights of former slaves, including restrictions on movement, employment, and property ownership. Similar laws were quickly adopted across other Southern states.

African American Labor Slavery & emancipation

Primary sources & references

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