Slave populations prior to the Civil War

Did the issue of slavery cause the Civil War? This is debatable. However, one can say that slavery was at least one of the important factors that lead to divisions between the North and the South.

How important was slavery in the United States before the war? One way we can understand this is to look at slave populations figures. Take a look at the 1860 U.S. Census.

Some facts:

* 8% of households in the United States owned slaves.

* 13% of the population were slaves.

* Two states had slave populations that were more than 50% of the general population: South Carolina (57%) and Mississippi (55%).

* Four slave states would stay in the union during the Civil War: Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Deleware.