What did the Black Codes initially aim to accomplish in the South?

The Black Codes were laws passed in the southern states after the Civil War, primarily during the Reconstruction Era, with the intention of regulating the behavior and lives of freed African Americans. These laws sought to maintain the economic and social order of the pre-Civil War South by restricting the freedoms of newly emancipated individuals.

By enacting these codes, Southern lawmakers aimed to ensure that African Americans would remain a submissive labor force, often tying them to low-wage labor, and preventing them from exercising rights that could lead to greater social and political equality. The Black Codes included provisions such as vagrancy laws, which penalized those who did not have employment, and restrictions on property ownership and movement. This legal framework was part of a broader effort to preserve white supremacy and control over the African American population in the post-war South.

In contrast, the other options do not align with the historical purpose of the Black Codes, which were explicitly designed to limit freedoms rather than protect rights, promote independence, or encourage immigration.