Slaves desired freedom and sought equal civil and political rights. Blacks enjoyed many postwar privileges, such as the right to vote, hold office, and attend school. Despite the privileges they enjoyed, state legislatures began passing “Black Codes,” restrictive laws that limited the opportunities of blacks in the South. Whites did not react well to the end of the Civil War/Reconstruction. They felt as if everything they had had been taken away from them. Many families are grieving the loss of loved ones and the destruction of property. The racial hatred still remained and there were various things that they did to try to protect their white supremacist