During the Reconstruction, former slaves were not actually free because of the Black Codes put in place by Southern states, the Henry Adams Statement, which was addressed by a former slave, and the Sharecroppers Contract. The Black Codes were laws that stated what freedmen were and were not allowed to do. The Black Codes from Opelousas, Louisiana were passed on July 3, 1865, and in Section 1 states, “No negro shall be allowed within the limits of the town of Opelousas without special permission from his employer.” This proves that African Americans were still not recognized as free to most Southerners because they were still told what to and not to do. Another reason why former slaves were still not considered free, was because of the Henry Adams Statement. The Henry Adams Statement was a statement former slave, Henry Adams, made before the U.S Senate in 1880 about his first couple days as a freeman.
