Oshinsky begins his work by describing the social, political and economic atmosphere that helped influence the development of Parchman Farm. Oshinsky articulating the backlash to the Reconstruction era that was centralized in Mississippi where horrid acts of violence took place to region political control. The effect of these acts led to a shift in power structures where old regimes set out to tackle two central issues: labor shortages, and the restoration of white supremacy. Criminal laws where set in place that put ex-slaves at a disadvantage whereby they would be more likely to encounter harsh legal penalties for minor crimes or for living in particular cirmstances. For an example the Pig Law which stated that a person who steals a farm