What role did slave codes play in social hierarchy?

Slave codes were laws established in the colonial and antebellum United States that defined the status of enslaved people and the rights of their owners. By outlining what enslaved individuals could or couldn’t do, these codes were instrumental in ensuring that enslavers maintained control over the enslaved population, thereby reinforcing the existing social hierarchy.

The slave codes restricted movement, education, and assembly of enslaved people, making it difficult for them to resist their status or seek freedom. They established severe penalties for those who attempted to escape or disobey their enslavers, further entrenching a system that prioritized the interests and power of enslavers above the rights and autonomy of enslaved individuals. In this way, slave codes not only maintained the power dynamics between enslavers and the enslaved but also reinforced the broader social structure that supported slavery as an institution within society.