I think it is because, during that time there was no place the Africans Americans could go without people treating them badly. I the Northern states slavery was not a thing, so the african americans were free but they were not given the same rights as white people. Many did not want them to have rights because they thought that the african americans would change the government and outcome of elections. White people would make rules like the literary test to insure that african americans would not be able to vote.
