The Post Civil War Black Codes

A dark day in the History of America   After the American Civil War' Many of the defeated Southern States passed Racist laws prohibiting Blacks from exercising there Freedoms accorded by the American Constitution ..It is unbelievable that A Country that prides itself as a Democratic Republic Would even allow such laws to be passed... This is one of hundreds of laws passes to subjectively return the African American back to Slavery that was abolished after the Civil War... It is believed that The Northern States wanted to Appease the South and did not want to restrict These Hateful Southern Politicians for fear of another rebellion by the Southern States ...A very, very Dark day in the history of The United States which by the way has never appeared in studying the History of America Louisiana Black Code (1865) Louisiana Introduction After the region's slaves were freed, Southern communities passed laws called "black codes" to control black citizens. The first states to pass black codes were Mississippi and South Carolina; other Southern states soon followed. Exact provisions of these laws varied from state to state, but their effect was similar. Read the following provisions of a Louisiana parish's black codes and evaluate their impact. Questions to Consider What were the black codes? List some of the restrictions placed on black citizens in this Louisiana parish. Why were these black codes so restrictive? Speculate about how these laws were enforced. What impact would these laws have had on the black community? Source . . . Sec. 1. Be it ordained by the police jury of the parish of St. Landry, That no negro shall be allowed to pass within the limits of said parish without special permit in writing from his employer. Whoever shall violate this provision shall pay a fine of two dollars and fifty cents, or in default thereof shall be forced to work four days on the public road, or suffer corporeal punishment as provided hereinafter. . . . Sec. 3. . . . No negro shall be permitted to rent or keep a house within said parish. Any negro violating this provision shall be immediately ejected and compelled to find an employer; and any person who shall rent, or give the use of any house to any negro, in violation of this section, shall pay a fine of five dollars for each offence. Sec. 4. . . . Every negro is required to be in the regular service of some white person, or former owner, who shall be held responsible for the conduct of said negro. But said employer or former owner may permit said negro to hire his own time by special permission in writing, which permission shall not extend over seven days at any one time. . . . Sec. 5. . . . No public meetings or congregations of negroes shall be allowed within said parish after sunset; but such public meetings and congregations may be held between the hours of sunrise and sunset, by the special permission in writing of the captain of patrol, within whose beat such meetings shall take place. . . . Sec. 6. . . . No negro shall be permitted to preach, exhort, or otherwise declaim to congregations of colored people, without a special permission in writing from the president of the police jury. . . . Sec. 7. . . . No negro who is not in the military service shall be allowed to carry fire-arms, or any kind of weapons, within the parish, without the special written permission of his employers, approved and indorsed by the nearest and most convenient chief of patrol. . . . Sec. 8. . . . No negro shall sell, barter, or exchange any articles of merchandise or traffic within said parish without the special written permission of his employer, specifying the article of sale, barter or traffic. . . . Sec. 9. . . . Any negro found drunk, within the said parish shall pay a fine of five dollars, or in default thereof work five days on the public road, or suffer corporeal punishment as hereinafter provided. Sec. 11. . . . It shall be the duty of every citizen to act as a police officer for the detection of offences and the apprehension of offenders, who shall be immediately handed over to the proper captain or chief of patrol. . . .   Source