Question

the southern black codes
a. were some of the first laws adopted as part of radical reconstruction in 1867.
b. allowed the arrest on vagrancy charges of formerly enslaved people who failed to sign yearly labor contracts.
c. pleased northerners because they saw that the rule of law was returning to the south.
d. allowed formerly enslaved people to testify in court against whites and to serve on juries.
e. were denounced by president johnson and declared unconstitutional by the supreme court.

Explanation:

The Southern Black Codes were post-Civil War laws designed to restrict the rights of formerly enslaved people. Option a is wrong because they predated Radical Reconstruction (1867) and were part of Presidential Reconstruction. Option c is incorrect as northerners opposed the Black Codes for their oppressive nature. Option d is false because the Codes barred Black people from testifying against whites or serving on juries. Option e is wrong because President Andrew Johnson supported the Black Codes, and they were not struck down by the Supreme Court at the time. Option b is accurate: a key provision of the Black Codes was using vagrancy laws to arrest Black people who did not sign annual labor contracts, forcing them into exploitative labor situations.

Answer:

b. allowed the arrest on vagrancy charges of formerly enslaved people who failed to sign yearly labor contracts.