The Reconstruction Era: The Black Codes

The black codes were a series of laws enacted in 1865 and 1866 by the Southern states. They were created during the end of the Civil war and the beginning of the Reconstruction Era. 

These were public laws that restricted the civil rights of minorities.

The black codes restricted the rights for free black people to own property, conduct business, buy and lease land, and move freely through public spaces such as Southern towns.

Examples of these codes were:

White primary

Poll tax

Literacy tests

Property ownership required to vote

Grandfather clause

White primary was the practice of keeping African Americans from voting in Southern States' primaries through arbitrary use of registration requirements and intimidation.

These practices included: poll tax, which is where voters had to pay a fee in order to vote, literacy tests, which ensured that voters could read and write prior to voting and the requirement of property ownership in order to vote.

If any of these practices applied to whites, they would still be able to vote by using the Grandfather clause, which meant that anybody whose ancestors were able to vote prior to 1867 could vote regardless of the registrations.

The purpose of the black codes were to regain control over the freed slaves, inhibit the freedom of freed slaves, prevent black uprisings, ensure the continued supply of cheap labor, maintain segregation and to maintain white supremacy.

Links:

History: Black codes

PBS: Black codes

The Underground Railroad and Missouri Compromise

The Underground Railroad was not an actual railroad, it was rather a network of houses and buildings that were used to help slaves escape from the South to freedom in the Northern states or Canada. In my yes, the underground railroad was one big code, and every part had codenames. The "passengers" were the slaves that were fleeing from the South. The "conductors" were the guides that led the slaves from one stop to another. The "stations" and "depots" were areas where the escaping slaves could rest. Whether it was a barn or a secret area in a house, the slaves would hide there to remain safe. 

The Missouri Compromise was an agreement made to keep the balance of slave and free states equal. Missouri was added as a slave state and Maine was added as a free state in 1821.  The Kansas-Nebraska act supersede the Missouri Compromise and allowed the territories in that state to decide whether or not they desired to be a free or slave territory. This was based on popular sovereignty.

Links

History: The Underground Railroad

Wikipedia: The Underground Railroad

PBS: The Underground Railroad

Library: The Missouri Compromise

History: The Missouri Compromise

Mann v. State: on the side of John Mann

The definition of a slave owner is anyone that has control or ownership over another human being.

The discussion isn't about if slavery is just or not, Mr. Mann is a slave owner and it is his right to keep slaves in order. What is the point of being a slave owner if you can’t keep slaves in order? If Mr. Mann wouldn't have taken charge, who knows how many other slaves would have revolted without punishment.

May I add that $10 in 1830 was worth over $280 in 1830. This is months of hard work for a slave owner in North Carolina so the amount of the fine is not a fair argument.

An African American is anatomically proven to be inferior to a white man. Their brains are smaller with thinner nerves and their cranial structure is less proportionate to that of a white. 

The team found an owner was not liable for a battery on his slave, or for the exercise of authority. The court found that for the sake of their own happiness, slaves needed to surrender their will in implicit obedience to that of another. Such obedience was the consequence only of uncontrolled authority over the body. The power of the master had to be absolute to produce the complete submission of the slave. We have found that a slave could not appeal from his master's power and the master's power could not be usurped. The court found it was its duty to recognize the full dominion of the owner over the slave, except where the exercise of it was forbidden by statute. The court found that absolute dominion was essential to the value of slaves as property, to the security of the master, and to the public tranquility, which was greatly dependent upon the subordination of slaves.

Truth speaks on slavery

 

“Children, who made your skin white? Was it not God? Who made mine black? Was it not the same God? Am I to blame, therefore, because my skin is black? …. Does not God love colored children as well as white children? And did not the same Savior die to save the one as well as the other?" How dare these folk rant and rave about how grand slavery is. Slavery is the reason why I have no family. I was pulled away from my mother, from my father and the only connection I have with them now is the children I have birthed. Who, may I add, have all been separated from me other than my precious little Sophiah, who I carried with me as I escaped my master. I fell in love with a slave, one who I can not marry because we are not property of the same owner. Is that not the role that you men gave us women? To marry, to cook, to clean but I cannot even marry, I cannot even see my children that I’ve created and ain't I a woman?

And you might be asking: Isabella, yes that was my original name I changed, Isabella how are you speaking right now? So clearly and fluidly? Why don’t you speak how slaves should speak? I have nobody to thank but the Lord! He is the reason why my voice speaks volumes. Not your fancy little books, but the Bible, that is the only book I know.

I have been blamed for murder! For a man I hadn't seen in over 2 weeks. That man died a peaceful death, nobody killed him. I am more than just a woman. I helped slaves become free, then helped freed slaves find jobs, and begged our black men to join the union. I am not just an abolitionist, I am a woman’s rights activist. If you believe that black men deserve more rights than black women then I simply cannot support you! Fredrick Douglass, a man with fine ideas believed that men’s suffrage was greater than a woman's. Why can’t we fight for both at the same time we’re both suffering. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?

Ain't I a woman youtube video

Explore: Did Religion Justify Slavery?

  

    We know that several slave owners and those in favor of slavery were often very religious. We see this evidence everywhere from the religious names of slave trade boats to the churches that funded the voyages to capture slaves. Does this mean that the Bible actually viewed slavery in a positive manner or did they just make it up as they go?

    Let's take a look at a very special quote from the Bible in which people thought that it was so powerful that it could justify slavery. A Prophecy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Genesis 9:18-27 KJV - And the sons of Noah, that went forth

What’s interesting to me about this section is that depending on what version you read, you get completely different vocabulary. In the version I cited, the King James version, the term “slave” is not used. When we look at the Christian Standard Bible however, the results are a little different. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+9%3A18-9%3A27&version=CSB The story is nearly the same but in this version, Canaan is actually named a slave rather than a servant. I believe that the reasoning for this is due to the translation of the term slave and for the “popularity” that the term began to receive. We know however, a slave and a servant are not the same.

    The reason why this is relevant to the justification of slavery becomes a little more clear. The Bible was not a manual; it doesn’t just state “This is right, that’s wrong, this is good, that’s bad” we interpret things based on our cultural background. So of course if someone grew up during a point in time where slavery was normal, a quote that calls someone a “slave” relates to their definition of slave which is far different from just a “servant”

The Supreme Court

 The supreme court comes from the 3rd branch of the government, the judicial branch. It is the absolute highest court in the country and has jurisdiction over all state and federal courts.It’s job is to defend the Constitution while ensuring laws follow it. The appellate jurisdiction gives the supreme court the power to review, amend and overrule decisions of a lower court. Due to this power, the supreme court often has to hear cases of lower federal courts.

Due to the Judiciary Act of 1869, the Supreme court will always consist of the chief justice and its 8 associate justices.The chief Justice is the most powerful judge in the country and is the chief administrative officer for all federal courts. He is nominated by the president of the United States and his position is confirmed by a senate majority vote. His job consists of presiding over the courts public sessions and private conferences. These meetings are where the justices decide on what cases to hear and what direction to vote on the cases they’ve heard. The associate justices go through a similar nomination process as the chief justice. There is no set term length for how long a Supreme court justice can hold their position. They can stay until they decide to resign or gets impeached by the Senate

Watch: Supreme Court youtube