Nearly one-fifth to one-eighth of the U.S. population—enslaved Africans and Black Americans—lived under brutal chattel slavery: Slaves as a share of the U.S. population, 1790–1860
| Year | Slaves as a share of U.S. population |
|---|---|
| 1790 | 17.8% |
| 1800 | 16.8% |
| 1810 | 16.5% |
| 1820 | 16.0% |
| 1830 | 15.6% |
| 1840 | 14.6% |
| 1850 | 13.8% |
| 1860 | 12.6% |
Source: Gibson and Jung 2002, Table 1.