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To: BroJoeK
In those seven states, the percentage of slaves was over 50% in South Carolina and Mississippi...
In those Deep South states, the percentage of slave-owning families ranged from about 50% in South Carolina...

So by your determination. 50% of the families in SC owned twice as many slaves, as they had members of their own household, which by the census of 1860 would have been 5.63 people per family, or >11 slaves. Given that we are also told that the market value of a slave was equivalent to about $100,000 today, that would make 50% of the families in SC very well off. We must also presume that each of those families had enough land to keep 11 slaves working productively to produce enough for the slaves to live and the family to get some productive return on that $1.1 million investment. Was that possible?

Its hard to argue with the census, unfortunately I find different numbers for the 1860 census every time I look, which makes it difficult to know which to believe.

When 40-50% or more of the population is slaves, there is no doubt that slavery was a huge factor in the economy. It doesn't matter whether it was narrow and deep, or wide and shallow.

153 posted on 01/26/2014 3:37:15 PM PST by SampleMan (Feral Humans are the refuse of socialism.)
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To: SampleMan
SampleMan: "Given that we are also told that the market value of a slave was equivalent to about $100,000 today, that would make 50% of the families in SC very well off.
We must also presume that each of those families had enough land to keep 11 slaves working productively to produce enough for the slaves to live and the family to get some productive return on that $1.1 million investment.
Was that possible?"

Slave prices were said to average up to $500 in 1860, which depending on how you look at that, could be anything from $100,000 to over $1,000,000 in today's values.
Times four million slaves equals about 20% of the total asset value of the United States in 1860.

So, the fact is that by 1860, average white Deep South families were considerably better off than their northern cousins.
One reason is: for over 50 years the value, price and productivity of their slaves had steadily increased, with very positive effects on both the income-statements and balance-sheets of slave owners.
Demand for slave produced goods -- sugar, tobacco, rice & especially cotton -- grew exponentially with rising prices making slavery the most profitable industry in the United States.
As an asset class, slaves represented the single largest investment in the United States -- more than railroads & manufacturing combined.

That's why the Deep South especially was determined to defend slavery against any and all threats -- whether real or imagined.
Indeed, the Slave-Power well understood that in order to maintain the asset value of its "property", slavery must be not only protected, it must constantly expand into new territories, countries & products.
That's why the "Black Republicans'" promise of no slavery in the territories represented a real threat to the Slave Power.

166 posted on 01/27/2014 5:19:40 AM PST by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective....)
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