What is the main idea of the black code?

The Black Codes were laws enacted in the Southern United States after the Civil War, primarily during the Reconstruction era, aimed at restricting the rights and freedoms of newly freed African Americans. They sought to maintain white supremacy and control over the Black population by enforcing labor contracts, limiting mobility, and imposing penalties for vagrancy. The Black Codes effectively aimed to circumvent the advancements in civil rights brought about by the abolition of slavery, ensuring that African Americans remained in subordinate social and economic positions.