Understanding the Freedom of African Americans During Slavery and Today

Historically, the question of freedom among African Americans during the times of slavery has been a subject of significant debate and historical inquiry. This article aims to clarify the extent of freedom among the African American population in 1860 and compare it to contemporary demographics and incarceration rates.

Demographics of African Americans in 1860

According to the 1860 census, the demographics of African Americans in the United States were strikingly imbalanced.

There were 488,070 'free colored' inhabitants and 3,953,760 slaves in the US. If all the slaves were black, then 89% of the black population was enslaved, while 11% was free. Additionally, whites made up 85.7% of the free population, 1.6% of the 'free colored' population, and 12.6% of the slave population. The 'civilized Indians' constituted 0.1% of the total population.

Slavery in the Confederacy

Examining the Confederacy specifically, we see a different picture:

132,760 free colored inhabitants and 3,521,110 slaves were recorded. Around 3.6% of the black population in the South was free, and 96.4% was enslaved.

Data from the 1860 Census

Statistical analysis based on the 1860 census reveals the following:

Total African-American percentage: 14.1%. Total slave percentage: 12.6%. Total free African-American percentage: 1.5%. About 225,849 free African Americans lived in free states, which amounted to around 46% of the free African-American population, while the rest lived in slave states.

Modern Context: Incarceration Rates

Fast forward to the present day, the landscape of African Americans in terms of freedom is quite different:

Demographics of African Americans: The 2015 US census estimated that 42,632,530 Black or African Americans live in the US. Constitutional Status: The US Constitution Amendment XIII Section 1 states, 'Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction.' Current Incarceration Rates: The NAACP estimates that African Americans now constitute nearly 1 million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated population. The NAACP Criminal Justice Fact Sheet reports that for 2015, about 97.6% of Black Americans were not incarcerated.

These numbers indicate a significant shift from the historical context of slavery and freedom to the modern era, where the freedom and rights of African Americans have improved greatly, though challenges persist.

Conclusion

While historical records show that only a small fraction of the African American population was free during the times of slavery, the contemporary context reveals a more complex picture. The focus on incarceration rates and inequalities highlights the ongoing struggles for full freedom and equality for African Americans. Understanding this evolution is crucial for grasping the challenges and progress made in the United States.