New Map: Distribution of Slavery in North Carolina, 1860

JF Ptak Science Books   Post 1099

My daughter Emma and I put this map together a few years ago for a project that just didn't come about.  I found it this morning and thought to just post the thing and its tables.  It could certainly be dressed up some--or at all.  Color would be nice. So would a clickable interactive bit.  Caveats firmly in place, here it is--so far as I could tell there wasn't such a descriptive tool like this available to quickly show the distribution of slave ownership (by county) in North Carolina. (Map is expandable.)

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Data below in expanded reading section, slavery distribution arranged by heaviest concentrations to least.  

Once you get into the mountain region of the state (the last third or so) where there are lots of hardscrabble/subsistence/poor farmers, slave ownership drops quickly. (I'm not sure how the Cherokee slave ownership factors into this.)  It would be nice to know how NC compares to the rest of the slave holding states, and I might do that yet--but for now I just wanted to share this relatively raw map before I lose it for good.

Comments

[Rick Hamrick]

John, I have to admit I was puzzled by Union County on the map, a puzzle solved by the table of numbers which clearly indicates it was right in line with its neighbors at 20 percent.

On the map, it says 82 percent. Typo. I'm afraid you only get a 98.5 on this one.

[Rick Hamrick]

One more note: I had no idea more than 8% of the black population of NC before the war were free.

[Rick Hamrick]

In case my first comment was lost, I noted the typo on the map for Union County, listing it at .82. The table cleared it up, listing it at .20 which is in line with its neighbors north and west.