When issuing the code that stated "All rogues and vagabonds…shall be deemed and considered vagrants…," why did the Mississippi legislature define "vagrancy" in such broad terms?
A) They believed the general public understood the meaning of this term.
B) This allowed white Southerners to arrest freedmen at will and curtail their freedom.
C) They did not want to violate the provisions of the Thirteenth Amendment.
D) This made it easier to condemn freedmen for more severe crimes.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The broad definition of "vagrancy" allowed white Southerners to arrest freedmen at will, serving as a means to control and limit the freedoms of African Americans after the Civil War. This was part of the Black Codes, which were designed to restrict the rights of the newly freed slaves.

When Issuing the Code That Stated "All Rogues and Vagabonds…shall