Throughout history the rights of the American people have changed over time, due to differing circumstances. Today all Americans are granted the right of freedom, but during antebellum in the Old South only a few social groups were granted this right. Before the Civil War the Old South contained three distinct groups of people who were defined by the right of freedom; slaves who were denied the right of freedom and white non-slave holders and white plantation owners who were able to fully embraced freedom.
             The one social group that was striped of freedom during post antebellum in the Old South, were black slaves. Freedom and rights can be taken away from a person, but no one can take away their spirit. Masters decided on every aspect of a slaves life, but slaves were still able to create problems that would effect aspects of their masters life. Many slaves broke tools, acted like they did not understand the directions that were given to them, and did not work to their full ability. When slaves created this type of inefficiency plantation owners lost time and money.
             Slaves were able to retain their individual spirit, but under the law they possessed absolutely no rights at this point in time. While plantation owners and yeomen were protected by the Bill of Rights, black codes were instituted to ensure that the dream of freedom was washed away for blacks. The absence of these rights were apparent in the Alabama code of 1852 which defined slavery as:
             A litany of rights denied. Those 'having charge of a slave' were directed to ensure that the slave not exercise the rights of a free person. The slave was not permitted 'to hire himself to another person, or to hire his own time, or to go at large....No slave must go beyond the limits of the plantation on which he resides, with out a pass.... No slave can keep or carry a gun.... No slave can own property....Not more than five male slaves shall assemble toge...