These tables offer a range of basic statistics on black life. They are drawn from the federal census of 1860. Every ten years, the government collects basic information on the American population. The resulting census data offers historians a treasure-trove of information about everyday Americans who might not otherwise have left traces in the historical record.
Instructors may choose to present and discuss these tables with the entire class, or may divide the class up into four groups, each of which may consider its table and questions on its own before reporting back to the class. It is suggested that, because Table 1 is larger, the class as a whole consider it before moving into three groups to analyze the smaller tables.
| Table 1: Black and White Population, 1860 | ||||||||
| Region |
White
|
Free
black
|
Slave
|
Total
|
||||
|
Number
|
Percent
|
Number
|
Percent
|
Number
|
Percent
|
Number
|
Percent
|
|
| New England | 3,110,480 | 99.2% | 24,711 | 0.8% | 0 | 0.0% | 3,135,191 | 100.0% |
| Mid-Atlantic | 7,327,548 | 98.2% | 131,272 | 1.8% | 18 | 0.0% | 7,458,838 | 100.0% |
| Midwest | 7,833,904 | 99.2% | 65,719 | 0.8% | 17 | 0.0% | 7,899,640 | 100.0% |
| Upper South | 4,463,501 | 76.4% | 183,369 | 3.1% | 1,195,985 | 20.5% | 5,842,855 | 100.0% |
| Lower South | 3,573,199 | 55.9% | 67,418 | 1.1% | 2,754,526 | 43.1% | 6,395,143 | 100.0% |
| Far West | 382,149 | 98.9% | 4,259 | 1.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 386,408 | 100.0% |
| United States | 26,690,781 | 85.8% | 476,748 | 1.5% | 3,950,546 | 12.7% | 31,118,075 | 100.0% |
Source: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, "Historical, Demographic, Economic, and Social Data: The United States, 1790-1970" [Computer file] (Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, 1997).
Questions:
1. In what region of the country did free African Americans constitute the largest
percentage of the total population?
2. Where did enslaved African Americans constitute the largest percentage of
the total population?
3. What might account for the relative size of free black and slave populations
in each area? That is, why were free blacks numerous where they were, and why
were enslaved African Americans numerous where they were?
4. Based on this table, make some conjectures about what life might have been
like for free African Americans in the northern states. Consider the racial
attitudes they may have confronted, their ability to find jobs, and the strength
of their communities.
|
Table
2: African-American Population by Region, 1860
|
||
| Region |
Rural
|
Urban
|
| New England | 36.5% | 63.5% |
| Mid-Atlantic | 50.3% | 49.7% |
| Midwest | 67.0% | 33.0% |
| Upper South | 61.5% | 38.5% |
| Lower South | 69.1% | 30.9% |
Source: "1860 Free Population - Preliminary," Steven Ruggles and Matthew Sobek, Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Version 2.0 (Minneapolis: Historical Census Projects, University of Minnesota, 1997).
Questions:
1. In what region was the African-American population most likely to live in
rural settings? In what region was it might likely to live in urban ones?
2. What might account for these differences?
3. This table does not distinguish between free and enslaved African Americans.
Given the information in Table 1, can you make some conjectures about the free
black population of the South? Do you think free blacks in the South would be
more or less likely than slaves to live in urban areas?
4. Imagine the kinds of work free African Americans in the North may have undertaken
in rural and urban areas.
| Table 3: Percent of Free Population Claiming to Hold Some Property, 1860 | |||
|
White
|
Free
black
|
Difference
|
|
| North | 18.1% | 11.7% | -6.4% |
| Upper South | 19.4% | 9.8% | 9.5% |
| Lower South | 18.8% | 17.9% | -0.9% |
Source: "1860 Free Population - Preliminary," Steven Ruggles and Matthew Sobek, Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Version 2.0 (Minneapolis: Historical Census Projects, University of Minnesota, 1997).
Questions:
1. In which region were free African Americans most likely to claim some property?
In which was the free black population least likely?
2. In which region were free African Americans nearly as likely as white Americans
to hold property? In which were they the least likely?
3. What general conclusions might we draw from these data about free black life
in the three regions of the United States?
4. Based on this information, draw some conjectures about what life might have
been like for free black Northerners.
| Table 4: Average Property Claimedy by White and Free Black People, 1860 | |||
| Region |
White
|
Free
black
|
Black
as % of White
|
| North | $583 | $92 | 16% |
| Upper South | $938 | $30 | 3% |
| Lower South | $1,388 | $206 | 15% |
| Nation | $751 | $85 | 11% |
Source: "1860 Free Population - Preliminary," Steven Ruggles and Matthew Sobek, Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Version 2.0 (Minneapolis: Historical Census Projects, University of Minnesota, 1997).
Questions:
1. According to these data, in which region did free African Americans claim
the most average property? In which region did they claim the least?
2. In which region did free African Americans own the most property relative
to white Americans?
3. Based on this information, draw some conjectures about what life might have
been like for free black Northerners.
4. The table is useful, but may not portray the complete picture. Can you think
of ways that the table may present an incomplete portrait of free black property
owning? What additional factors might a more detailed investigation consider?