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Chart: Slave population in 1860

How did the principles of the Declaration of Independence contribute to the quest to end slavery from colonial times to the outbreak of the Civil War?

  • I can interpret primary sources related to Founding principles of liberty, equality, and justice from the colonial era to the outbreak of the Civil War.
  • I can explain how laws and policy, courts, and individuals and groups contributed to or pushed back against the quest to end slavery. 
  • I can create an argument using evidence from primary sources. 
  • I can analyze issues in history to help find solutions to present-day challenges.

 

Building Context 

The U.S. Census Bureau counts the number of people living in the United States every 10 years. The data collected are used to calculate the number of seats given to each state in the U.S. House of Representatives. The population numbers from the 1860 census are shown below. 

 

Slave population in 1860 chart

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1860_United_States_census 

No. States Free Population Slave Population Total Percentage of Slaves
1 South Carolina 301,271 402,541 703,812 57.2
2 Mississippi 354,700 436,696 791,396 55.2
3 Louisiana 376,280 333,010 709,290 47.0
4 Alabama 529,164 435,132 964,296 45.1
5 Florida 78,686 61,753 140,439 43.9
6 Georgia 595,097 462,232 1,057,329 43.7
7 North Carolina 661,586 331,081 992,667 33.4
8 Virginia 1,105,192 490,887 1,596,079 30.7
9 Texas 421,750 180,682 602,432 30.0
10 Arkansas 324,323 111,104 435,427 25.5
11 Tennessee 834,063 275,784 1,109,847 24.8
12 Kentucky 930,223 225,490 1,155,713 19.5
13 Maryland 599,846 87,188 687,034 12.7
14 Missouri 1,067,352 114,965 1,182,317 9.7
15 Delaware 110,420 1,798 112,218 1.6
8,289,953 3,950,343 12,240,296 32.2

 

Slave Population in 1860 Map

Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/SlavePopulationUS1860.jpg/275px-SlavePopulationUS1860.jpg 

 

Comprehension and Analysis Questions

  1. According to this data, was slavery confined to the South? Explain.
  2. Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri were known as “border states” during the Civil War. Based on the chart above, why was this significant?