How did the Black Codes aim to accomplish the objectives of restricting African Americans' freedom and compelling them to work in a labor economy based on low wages or debt?

The Black Codes were laws enacted in the Southern United States after the Civil War to restrict the rights and freedoms of African Americans. These codes aimed to maintain a labor force dependent on low wages by imposing strict regulations on employment, such as requiring African Americans to sign labor contracts and limiting their ability to own property or move freely. Additionally, the codes often included vagrancy laws that penalized those who were unemployed or did not have a permanent job, effectively forcing many into exploitative labor conditions. By creating a legal framework to control African Americans, the Black Codes sought to perpetuate a system of racial subordination and economic exploitation.