Slave codes were laws in each U.S. state defining the status of slaves and the rights of their owners. These codes gave slave owners absolute power over their slaves.
Source: Boundless. “Slave Codes.” Boundless U.S. History. Boundless, 26 May. 2016. Retrieved 25 Aug. 2016 from https://www.boundless.com/u-s-history/textbooks/boundless-u-s-history-textbook/slavery-in-the-antebellum-u-s-1820-1840-16/slavery-in-the-u-s-122/slave-codes-653-10159/
