Civil War History - Secession and PoliticsWas it Slavery, or was it States Rights? Perhaps it was the election of Lincoln? What were the real reasons for Southern Secession and what were the political issues in this time of war? Find your answers here in the Secession and Politics Disussion.
Census takers in 1860 knocked on the door, listed head of household and all others residing in the home. Extrapolating numbers to verify whether illiterate people owned land or not is beyond my mathematical skills. However, since confederate soldiers enlisted from all walks of life and few males of fighting age stayed behind, I don't see any reason to believe that the 80% doesn't represent the ranks as well as the population as a whole particularly since the population as a whole includes women who in the South were the last to be educated.
Here are some additional facts from the 1860 that are equally interesting.
FROM THE 1860 CENSUS:
Total number of slaves in the lower South: 2,312,352 (47% population)
Total number of slaves in the upper South: 1,208,758 (29% population)
Total number of slaves in the Border States: 432,586 (13% population)
According the census of 1860 one third of all southern families owned slaves. In Mississippi and South Carolina it approached one half. Eighty-eight percent of slave holders had fewer than 20 slaves; 50% had fewer than five.
On a typical plantation with more than 20 slaves the capital value of the slaves was worth more than the land and implements.
Percentage of families that owned slaves by state according the 1860 census data:
The percentage of slave holding families in the states that actually
formed the Confederacy was 30.8%
This census data is taken from archive site at University of Virginia. Remember too that when we speak of "slaves," we speak not of anonymous numbers, but of men, women and children who had feelings and hopes, they felt pain and fear, and dared to dream of freedom.
Sorry George, I was responding to Shane's question regarding the 1860 census literacy numbers. He wanted to know if it was only the landed people who were asked the questions.
I should know better when trying to break off a thread to start a new topic.
Connie- are there numbers somewhere of free blacks living in the Northern States at this time? I could try to look it up, but I'm thinking it might be something you have close to hand. ewc
__________________ 'It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag'
I believe the number of "Free" blacks was very close in both the North and South in 1860. My computer went down so I due not have all my bookmarks so I cant tell you the site at this time.
Edward, I believe I do have what you are looking for but it is on my hard drive and I will not be back home until Saturday at the earliest. Will gladly share at that time.
Thanx, mates! No rush. I shall gladly await the information; it's just a question which occurred to me while looking over the above census figures. e
__________________ 'It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag'
Hi there,
I'm new here but I would like to address the figures given on the 1860 Census.
First off, the 30% of all Southerners owning slaves
is not correct. Secondly, the total numbers, could not be
right, no matter how you cut them. you can't get nearly 50% in the lower South, and then nearly 30% in the upper, and arrive at
a mere 13% of the population as a whole. The numbers won't
add up.
Basically, if you've got upper and lower, you've got a divisible of one plus one with a divisible of one for the average.
I'm not sure about your averages for family ownership, though the
Florida numbers in particular don't seem right. Neither do the Arkansas, Missouri, Virginia, or Maryland numbers.
Really, Florida, wasn't even a player. How did you arrive at your math averages, may I ask?
I can't go along with this at all on your slave holding families within the
Confederacy either, unless you want to quantify it. Who, where, and how many? And where does it rank with the free blacks?
You should also know that the number of paupers outnumbering these slaves in the North also felt pain and fear, and not only dared to
dream of freedom, but hoped for a shred of food.
Thea
__________________ Thea
No one has permission to use any material from any of my posts on any CWT forum, the archives, or any other forum without my express written permission.
Thea...
Connies numbers are accurate.
The 30% refered to is Confederate Families owning slaves,
not population of slaves to whites.
the 13% refers to the number of slaves, by population,
living in the Border States of Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri and New Mexico Territory,(which its self had 0 slaves and 85 free blacks to 93,431 whites).
Reference is The Civil War Day by Day by E.B. Long and Barbara Long,
pg703-4. And Long uses the 1860 Census for his data. (So if his numbers are not correct don't blame me.....)
__________________ 'It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag'
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