[uncbob]

The census also determined that there were fewer than 385,000 individuals who owned slaves (1). Even if all slaveholders had been white, that would amount to only 1.4 percent of whites in the country (or 4.8 percent of southern whites owning one or more slaves).

Not quite true Census counts all people woman and children included. So if they were 8 million in the south and each family had say 2 kids ( might be low ) they were about 2 million families . Therefore about 19% owned slaves or even higher if the families were bigger

[NovemberCharlie]

Not quite true Census counts all people woman and children included. So if they were 8 million in the south and each family had say 2 kids ( might be low ) they were about 2 million families . Therefore about 19% owned slaves or even higher if the families were bigger

And the same could apply to the black slaveholders mentioned in the article. New Orleans is the only data given, so assuming it was representative of the entire South, that 28% comes to 104% of free black families owning slaves. Hmm. It would be nice to know for sure how the data breaks down.

[azhenfud]

I believe the figures are based upon total individuals, not total families. Although I may be wrong...
Az

[WhiskeyPapa]

Not quite true Census counts all people woman and children included. So if they were 8 million in the south and each family had say 2 kids ( might be low ) they were about 2 million families . Therefore about 19% owned slaves or even higher if the families were bigger

That's right. In point of fact, there were more owners of slaves in the south than there were owners of real property in the north. Slavery was clearly the cause of the war. Posting this article about black slave owners is an attempt to make more palatable the unpalatable -- the whole CSA experience.

Walt