1860 United States census


The 1860 United States census was the eighth census conducted in the United States, starting June1, 1860, and lasting five months. It determined the population of the United States to be 31,443,321 in 33 states and 10 organized territories. This was an increase of 35.6 percent over the 23,191,876 persons enumerated during the 1850 census. The total population included 3,953,760 slaves.
By the time the 1860 census returns were ready for tabulation, the nation was sinking into the American Civil War. As a result, census superintendent Joseph C. G. Kennedy and his staff produced only an abbreviated set of public reports, without graphic or cartographic representations. The statistics did allow the census staff to produce a cartographic display, including preparing maps of Southern states, for Union field commanders. These maps displayed militarily vital topics, including the white population, slave population, predominant agricultural products, and rail and post road transportation routes.
This census saw Philadelphia regain its position as the second-most-populous American city, due to the Act of Consolidation, 1854, merging many smaller surrounding townships, such as Spring Garden, Northern Liberties, and Kensington, into the main city of Philadelphia. Philadelphia would lose its position as the second-most-populous American city to Chicago in 1890.

Census questions

The 1860 census Schedule 1 was one of two schedules that counted the population of the United States; the other was Schedule 2.
Schedule 1 collected the following information:
ColumnTitleNotes
1Dwelling-houses – numbered in the order of visitation.
2Families numbered in the order of visitation
3The name of every person whose usual place of abode on the first day of June 1860, was in this family.
4Description: Age.
5Description: Sex.M or F
6Description: Color,.W, B or M
7Profession, Occupation, or Trade of each person, male and female, over 15 years of age.
8Value of Estate Owned: Value of Real Estate.
9Value of Estate Owned: Value of Personal Estate.
10Place of Birth, Naming the State, Territory, or Country.
11Married within the year.Marked with '/'
12Attended School within the year.Marked with '/'
13Persons over 20 years of age who can not read and write.Marked with '/'
14Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict.

Schedule 2 collected the following information:
ColumnTitleNotes
1Name of slave owner
2Number of slaves
3Age
4Sex
5Color
6Fugitive from the stateMarked with '/'
7Number Manumitted
8Deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic
9Number of slave houses

Data availability

Full documentation for the 1860 population census, including microdata, census forms and enumerator instructions, is available from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. Aggregate data for small areas, together with compatible cartographic boundary files, can be downloaded from the National Historical Geographic Information System.

Common occupations

National data reveals that farmers made up nearly 10% of utilized occupations. Farm laborers represent the next highest percent with 3.2%, followed by general laborers at 3.0%.
More localized data shows that other occupations were common. In the town of Essex, Massachusetts, a large section of the women in the labor force were devoted to shoe-binding, while for men the common occupations were farming and shoe-making. This heavy demand of shoe-related labor reinforces the high demand for rigorous physical laborers in the economy, as supported by the data of very large amounts of farm related work as compared to most other labor options.
IPUMS' data also notes that the share of the population that had been enrolled in school or marked as "Student" stood at 0.2%. This demonstrates a small rate of growth, if any, in the proficiency of the human capital of the time—the skill set a worker has to apply to the labor force, which can increase total output through increased efficiency.
The census of 1860 was the last in which much of Southern wealth was held as slaves—still legally considered property.

Population of U.S. states and territories

RankStateFree PopulationSlave PopulationPopulationPercentage Enslaved
01New York3,880,73503,880,7350
02Pennsylvania2,906,21502,906,2150
03Ohio2,339,51102,339,5110
04Illinois1,711,95101,711,9510
05Virginia1,105,453490,8651,596,31830.7
06Indiana1,350,42801,350,4280
07Massachusetts1,231,06601,231,0660
08Missouri1,067,081114,9311,182,0129.7
09Kentucky930,201225,4831,155,68419.5
10Tennessee834,082275,7191,109,80124.8
11Georgia595,088462,1981,057,28643.7
12North Carolina661,563331,059992,62233.4
13Alabama529,121435,080964,20145.1
14Mississippi354,674436,631791,30555.2
15Wisconsin775,8810775,8810
16Michigan749,1130749,1130
17Louisiana376,276331,726708,00246.9
18South Carolina301,302402,406703,70857.2
19Maryland599,86087,189687,04912.7
20Iowa674,9130674,9130
21New Jersey672,01718672,0350.01
22Maine628,2790628,2790
23Texas421,649182,566604,21530.2
24Connecticut460,1470460,1470
25Arkansas324,335111,115435,45025.5
26California379,9940379,9940
27New Hampshire326,0730326,0730
28Vermont315,0980315,0980
29Rhode Island174,6200174,6200
30Minnesota172,0230172,0230
31Florida78,67961,745140,42444.0
32Delaware110,4181,798112,2161.6
33Oregon52,465052,4650
XKansas Territory107,2042107,2060.01
XNew Mexico Territory93,516093,5160
XDistrict of Columbia71,9853,18575,0804.4
XUtah Territory40,1842940,2730.07
XColorado Territory34,277034,2770
XNebraska Territory28,8261528,8410.01
XWashington Territory11,594011,5940
XNevada Territory6,85706,8570
XDakota Territory4,83704,8370

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