Which states were free and which states had slavery?

How many slaves were there? How many black people were free? Which states did they live in?

How were the states and cities populated when the Civil War began?

Sometimes when learning about the Civil War it’s good to know the geography of the free and slave states, and how the free and slave states were populated. Provided here for reference is a map that shows the free and slave states, listings of the free, slave, and border states, tables of state and territory populations, a table of the total populations of the states and territories, and a table of the 10 largest cities in the United States in 1860.

In the times before and during the Civil War much of the United States was made up of farmland, unsettled territories, and lightly populated areas. Most people lived on farms or in small towns, but in contrast, there were cities like New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and New Orleans which were bustling with people, business, factories, and activity. The South had fewer people than the North, and the North had more enterprise than the South. The South was more rural with farms and plantations, and while the North had its farmers and rural places too, it had more cities. The division of slavery, the “peculiar institution,” would split the union of the states and bring on a Civil War that would end the lives of hundreds of thousands. A Civil War that would forever change the lives of the people and the landscape of the North and the South.

1857 General Map Of The United States Showing Free States, Slave States, And Territories

Click/right click on map for larger image.

1857 General Map of the United-States

Map Color Key

• Free states and territories colored green.
• Dark green shows the free states.
• Light green shows the territories.
• Slave-holding states colored red.
• Slave importing states colored dark red.
• Slave exporting states colored light red.
• Boundary of the seceding states colored light gray.

Free States 1857

• California
• Connecticit
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• New Hampshire
• New York
• New Jersey
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Wisconsin

Slave States 1857

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia

Learn Civil War History Podcast Episode Seven: Freedman Jourdon Anderson Writes A Letter To His Old Master

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Civil War Free States 1861-1865

• California
• Connecticut
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• West Virginia (Became a state in 1863.)
• Wisconsin

Civil War Slave States 1861-1865

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Georgia
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia

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Civil War Border States

These are salve states that remained in the Union.

• Delaware
• Kentucky
• Maryland
• Missouri

United States Territories 1861

• Washington Territory
• Dakota Territory
• Nebraska Territory
• Colorado Territory
• Utah Territory
• Nevada Territory (Became a state in 1864.)
• New Mexico Territory
• Indian Territory

State Populations From 1860 Census

[table id=1-1860-State-Population /]

Notes:
(a) – does not include 294,500 Indians who kept their tribal character
(b) – 34,933 Asians included
(c) – Indentured servants
Data source: The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference

Territory Populations From 1860 Census

[table id=2 /]

Notes:
(a) – does not include 294,500 Indians who kept their tribal character
(b) – Populations included: Georgetown (8,733), Washington City (61,122), rest of the District (5,225).
Data source: The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference

Population Totals States And Territories Combined

[table id=3 /]

Notes:
(a) – does not include 294,500 Indians who kept their tribal character
Data source: The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference

The 10 Largest Cities Of The United States In 1860

[table id=4 /]

Notes:
Data source: The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference

Learn Civil War History Podcasts

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My book 501 Civil War Quotes and Notes features quotes made before, during, and after the Civil War. Each quote has an informative note to explain the circumstances and background of the quote. Learn Civil War history from the spoken words and writings of the military commanders, political leaders, the Billy Yanks and Johnny Rebs who fought in the battles, the abolitionists who strove for the freedom of the slaves, the descriptions of battles, and the citizens who suffered at home. Their voices tell us the who, what, where, when, and why of the Civil War. Available as a Kindle device e-book or as a paperback. Get 501 Civil War Quotes and Notes now!

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• The Confederate States of America
• The United States of America
• Slavery
• Jefferson Davis And The Confederacy
• 1850 Fugitive Slave Law
• Thirteenth Amendment Abolishes Slavery