Why did most white people in the South not want Freedmen to vote?

Most white people in the South opposed Freedmen voting due to a desire to maintain political and social control after the Civil War. They feared that granting African Americans the right to vote would disrupt the existing racial hierarchy and threaten their economic interests. Additionally, many white Southerners held deeply ingrained racist beliefs, viewing Freedmen as unfit for participation in the democratic process. This resistance was reflected in various discriminatory laws and practices aimed at disenfranchising Black voters.