Black codes and Jim Crow laws were laws passed at different periods in the southern United States to enforce racial segregation and curtail the power of black voters
<u><em>Jim Crow</em></u> laws prevented African-Americans from voting, holding public office, attending government functions, and in many places, entering buildings.
Explanation:
Rampant racism and government-sanctioned segregation forced African-Americans into a position of low status, as compared to whites.
This excerpt from a letter is a critical primary source, since it was written in the first person and shows the extent to which many patriots during this time were willing to risk their lives for liberty.
