Why do you think that discrimination against free African Americans was harsher in the south than in the north?

Discrimination against free African Americans was harsher in the South primarily due to the region's reliance on an economy built around slavery, which fostered a social hierarchy that devalued Black individuals. Southern states implemented strict laws, such as Black Codes, to control and marginalize free African Americans, fearing that their presence could undermine the institution of slavery. In contrast, while the North also had its share of racial prejudice, the absence of a slave-based economy allowed for somewhat greater social mobility and legal rights for free Black people, leading to less overt discrimination.