After black codes were established in the south, unemployed african americans a. could be arrested as vagrants. b. could take their pick of jobs. c. often escaped to the north. d. were returned to enslavement.

1) when slavery was abolished at the end of the Civil War, southern states created back codes,laws which aimed to keep white supremacy in place
2) Black codes attempted to economical disable freed slaves ,forcing African Americans to continue work on plantations and to remain subject to racial hierarchy within the southern society.
3) Black codes gave rise to a new wave of Radical Rebublicanism in Congress, and the eventual move towards enshrining racial equality into the Constitution. However, black codes also set precedent for Jim Crow laws.
-hope that helps...