Laws in the south which confirmed the belief that slaves were property and should be protected by the public were called:
property laws
slave codes
civil codes
rebellion laws

Laws in the South which confirmed the belief that slaves were property and should be protected by the public were called slave codes. The correct option in regards to all the options given in the question is the second option. Slave codes were actually the codes made during the colonial period that described the responsibilities and rights of the slave owners and also the status of the slaves. These laws were prevalent in several states of the United States after the American Revolution.