Question

"The 13th Amendment officially ended slavery in 1863, but this major change faced immediate pushback in South Carolina. Without free labor, plantation owners struggled, and the state legislature passed Black Codes to restrict the freedom of Black Americans and remain control over their labor."

Based on quote above, how did the South Carolina state legislature respond to the economic changes caused by the 13th Amendment?
A. By supporting the Freedmen’s Bureau to help plantation owners find new workers.
B. By creating the South Carolina Land Commission to redistribute plantation land.
C. By passing Black Codes to maintain control over the labor and movement of Black Americans.
D. By ratifying the 14th Amendment immediately to ensure all citizens had equal rights.

Answer 1

C. By passing Black Codes to maintain control over the labor and movement of Black Americans.

Explanation: Southern legislatures, including South Carolina's, responded to the end of slavery by enacting Black Codes to restrict freed people’s rights and mobility so planters could retain access to cheap, controlled labor.