The early slave codes called for the protection of the rights of the slave owners. The codes were so rigidified that the slaves could no longer be manumitted or freed easily. Moreover, free Black settlers of the New Land were prohibited from having white servants or from having a sexual relationship or marry white settlers. These early codes and laws definitely encouraged racism and gave the whites, even if they were poor, an upper hand over the Blacks (both free and slaves). This arrangement wanted to build a gulf between the poor whites and white servants and the Black people, both slaves and free settlers.
The white settlers, especially the rich planter class, feared that if the white slaves and poor whites were not given more freedom and liberties, then they would some time or the other draw a common cause with the black slaves and the black free settlers and rise in rebellion against the exploitation of the white planters. This was the basic reason why the white servants were freed to start off as independent farmers, and taxes were lowered so that they could keep more of their earnings as profit. They were also enfranchised and given voting rights. These acts can be defined as definite attempts on the part of the rich white planters to prevent discontent from becoming a common cause joining the white settlers and the Black slaves together.
Southern colonies were led by two forces-plantation economy and pride in their skin pigmentation. The plantation economy of the southern rich whites needed a slave workforce for reaping more profit, as plantation required cheap and hard work. The second reason was racist ideology. They believed by virtue of their skin pigmentation. They were far superior to the black slaves. They believed any contact would contaminate their superiority. These were reasons which made them fear slave rebellion which held the possibility of contamination.