Methodology was "The figures given here are the percentage of slave-owning families as a fraction of total free households in the state." This is much like measuring velocity in furlongs per fortnight.
The data was taken from a now-inactive census archive site at the University of Virginia, but equivalent data may be found here.
The new link is:
http://www.civil-war.net/pages/1860_census.html?fref=gc
which redirects to
https://thegunzone.com/gun-reviews/
For actual 1860 census statistics see:
https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1864/dec/1860a.html
At the link are available, each as a seperate publication:
1860 Census: Population of the United States
1860 Census: Agriculture of the United States
1860 Census: Manufactures of the United States
1860 Census: Statistics of the United States
In the 1860 Agriculture Report, Slave Statistics appears a section entitled Recapitulation.
In the 1860 Population Report, appears a section entiled Recapitulation of the Tables of Population, Nativity, and Occupation. No slave statistics.
SLAVEHOLDER STATISTICS - 1860 CENSUS DATA
STATE | TOTAL POPULATION | # SLAVEHOLDERS | Families | % SLAVEHOLDERS | Fam size |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AL | 964,201 | 33,730 | 96,603 | 3.50% | 8.86 |
AR | 435,450 | 11,481 | 57,244 | 2.64% | 7.61 |
FL | 140,424 | 5,152 | 15,090 | 3.67% | 9.31 |
GA | 1,057,286 | 41,084 | 109,919 | 3.89% | 9.62 |
LA | 708,002 | 22,003 | 74,725 | 3.11% | 9.47 |
MS | 791,305 | 30,943 | 63,015 | 3.91% | 12.56 |
NC | 992,622 | 34,658 | 125090 | 3.49% | 7.94 |
SC | 703,708 | 26,701 | 58,642 | 3.79% | 12.00 |
TN | 1,109,801 | 36,844 | 149,335 | 3.32% | 7.43 |
TX | 604,215 | 21,878 | 76,781 | 3.62% | 7.92 |
VA | 1,596,318 | 52,128 | 201,523 | 3.27% | 7.92 |
TOTAL: | 9,103,332 | 316,602 | 1,027,967 | 3.31% | 8.86 |
STATE | TOTAL POPULATION | # SLAVEHOLDERS | Families | % SLAVEHOLDERS | Fam size |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DE | 112,216 | 587 | 18,966 | 0.52% | 5.92 |
KY | 1,155,684 | 38,645 | 166,321 | 3.34% | 6.95 |
MD | 687,049 | 13,783 | 110,278 | 2.01% | 6.23 |
MO | 1,182,012 | 24,320 | 192,073 | 2.06% | 6.15 |
TOTAL: | 3,136,961 | 77,335 | 487,638 | 2.47% | 6.43 |
Please take me off any of these posts.
Clearly we have a case here of "figures don't lie but liars can figure."
Your calculations are self-evidently bogus.
Here's what they should say:
SLAVEHOLDER STATISTICS - 1860 CENSUS DATA
STATE | FREE POPULATION | FREE FAMILIES | SLAVEHOLDERS | SLAVEHOLDER FAMILIES | SLAVES | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mississippi | 354,674 | 63,015 | 30,943 | 49% | 436,631 | |
South Carolina | 301,302 | 58,642 | 26,701 | 45% | 402,406 | |
Georgia | 505,088 | 109,919 | 41,084 | 37% | 462,198 | |
Alabama | 519,121 | 96,603 | 33,730 | 35% | 435,080 | |
Florida | 78,679 | 15,090 | 5,152 | 34% | 61,745 | |
Louisiana | 376,276 | 74,725 | 22,033 | 29% | 331,726 | |
Texas | 421,649 | 76,781 | 21,878 | 28% | 182,566 | |
North Carolina | 661,563 | 125,090 | 34,658 | 28% | 331,099 | |
Virginia | 1,105,453 | 201,523 | 52,128 | 26% | 490,865 | |
Tennessee | 834,082 | 149,335 | 36,844 | 25% | 275,719 | |
Kentucky | 930,201 | 166,321 | 38,645 | 23% | 225,483 | |
Arkansas | 324,335 | 57,244 | 11,481 | 20% | 111,115 | |
Missouri | 1,067,081 | 192,073 | 24,320 | 13% | 114,943 | |
Maryland | 599,860 | 110,278 | 13,783 | 12% | 87,189 | |
Delaware | 110,418 | 18,966 | 587 | 3% | 1,798 | |
Total/Averages | 8,189,782 | 1,515,605 | 393,967 | 26% | 3,950,551 |
So, the argument we've seen is that, well, there might have been more than one slaveholder per family, and if there were two, that would reduce those percentages by half.
The answer is: maybe, probably not, but even if true, that could in no way get the averages down to the 3% claimed in woodpusher's bogus statistics.
The key takeaway is that, especially in the Deep South, virtually everyone had family or neighbors who were slaveholders, and everyone clearly understood the importance of slavery to their economic well being.