1875 – Mississippi Implements Black Codes

On May 6, 1875, Mississippi authorities intensified Black Codes to limit African American freedom, despite Reconstruction amendments guaranteeing citizenship and rights. These laws, aimed at controlling labor, movement, and voting, effectively re-enslaved many African Americans economically and socially. Restrictions included harsh vagrancy laws and apprenticeship systems that forced Black individuals into exploitative labor arrangements. While the federal government had nominal authority to intervene, political will was crumbling. Events like this underscored why a “Second Reconstruction” through the Civil Rights Movement would later be necessary. Mississippi’s actions were part of a broader Southern strategy to undo Black progress under the guise of “law and order.”