Interracial marriage bans, also known as anti-miscegenation laws, were laws passed in many states in the United States that prohibited interracial marriage between different racial groups. These laws were primarily aimed at preventing marriages between Black and White individuals, although they also targeted other racial combinations.

The origins of anti-miscegenation laws can be traced back to the colonial era, with Virginia passing the first recorded law in 1691 to prevent marriages between White colonists and Black slaves. Over time, similar laws were enacted in other states in the South and later in the North, Midwest, and West.

These laws were based on the racist belief in the superiority of the White race and the need to maintain racial purity. They were intended to uphold the system of White supremacy and racial segregation that was prevalent in American society during this time.

These bans also had significant social and legal implications for interracial couples and their families. Couples who defied the bans faced social stigma, harassment, and legal repercussions, including fines, imprisonment, and the nullification of their marriages.

It wasn't until the mid-20th century that interracial marriage bans began to be challenged and eventually struck down as unconstitutional. The landmark Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia in 1967 ruled that state bans on interracial marriage were unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment, effectively ending legal prohibitions on interracial marriage in the United States.