There were almost 700 thousand slaves in the U.S. in 1790, which equated to approximately 18 percent of the total population, or roughly one in six people. By 1860, the final census taken before the American Civil War, there were four million slaves in the South, compared with less than 500,000 free Black Americans in all of the U.S.. Of the 4.4 million Blacks in the U.S. before the war, almost four million of these people were held as slaves; meaning that for all African Americans living in the US in 1860, there was an 89 percent* chance that they lived in slavery. A brief history Trans-Atlantic slavery began in the early 16th century, when the Portuguese and Spanish forcefully brought enslaved Africans to the New World. The British Empire introduced slavery to North America on a large scale, and the economy of the British colonies there depended on slave labor, particularly regarding cotton, sugar, and tobacco output. In the seventeenth and eighteenth century the number of slaves being brought to the Americas increased exponentially, and at the time of American independence it was legal in all thirteen colonies. Although slavery became increasingly prohibited in the north, the number of slaves remained high during this time as they were simply relocated or sold from the north to the south. It is also important to remember that the children of slaves were also viewed as property, and were overwhelmingly born into a life of slavery. Abolition and the American Civil War In the years that followed independence, the Northern States gradually prohibited slavery, it was officially abolished there by 1805, and the importation of slave labor was prohibited nationwide from 1808 (although both still existed in practice after this). Business owners in the Southern States however depended on slave labor in order to meet the demand of their rapidly expanding industries, and the issue of slavery continued to polarize American society in the decades to come. This culminated in the election of President Abraham Lincoln in 1860, who promised to prohibit slavery in the newly acquired territories to the west, leading to the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865. Although the Confederacy (south) took the upper hand in much of the early stages of the war, the strength in numbers of the northern states including many free, Black men, eventually resulted in a victory for the Union (north), and the nationwide abolishment of slavery with the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865. Legacy In total, an estimated twelve to thirteen million Africans were transported to the Americas as slaves, and this does not include the high number who did not survive the journey (which was as high as 23 percent in some years). In the 150 years since the abolition of slavery in the US, the African-American community have continuously campaigned for equal rights and opportunities that were not afforded to them along with freedom. The most prominent themes have been the Civil Rights Movement, voter suppression, mass incarceration, and the relationship between the police and the African-American community.

Between 1501 and 1866, it is estimated that over 12.5 million people were forced onto ships in Africa, and transported to the Americas as slaves. Furthermore, it is estimated that only 10.7 million of these slaves disembarked on the other side of the Atlantic, meaning that roughly 1.8 million did not survive the journey. The transatlantic slave trade was a part of the triangular trade route between Europe, Africa and the Americas, during the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. Generally speaking, this route saw European merchants bring manufactured products to Africa to trade for slaves, then transport the slaves to the Americas to harvest raw materials, before taking these materials back to Europe where they would then be consumed or used in manufacturing. Slavery was an integral part in funding the expansion of Europe's colonial empires, which shaped the modern and highly globalized world in which we live today.

The Middle Passage As with trade, the slave journey was also broken into three parts; the First Passage was the stage where slaves were captured and transported to African ports, the Middle Passage was the journey across the Atlantic, while the Final Passage was where the slaves were transported to their place of work. The death toll in the First Passage is thought to be the highest of the three stages, as millions were killed or fatally wounded as they were captured, however a lack of written data and historical evidence has made this number difficult to estimate. In contrast, shipping records from the time give a much more accurate picture of the Middle Passage's death toll, and this data suggest that roughly 14.5 percent of slaves did not survive the journey. The reason for this was the harsh and cramped conditions on board; slave ships were designed in such a way that they could fit the maximum number of slaves on board in order to maximize profits. These conditions then facilitated the spread of diseases, such as smallpox and dysentery, while malnutrition and thirst created further problems. Generally, slavers aimed to keep slaves as healthy (therefore; profitable) as possible, although there are countless examples of mistreatment and punishment of slaves by their captors, and several cases where slaves were exterminated by the crew as provisions ran low.

Rise and fall of the transatlantic slave trade

The European arrival in the Americas also saw the introduction of virgin soil epidemics (new diseases being introduced to biologically defenseless populations) which decimated the indigenous populations. The abundance of natural resources, but lack of available labor led to the rise of the transatlantic slave trade. Until the mid-1600s, Portuguese traders had a near-monopoly on this trade, supplying slaves to the newly expanding Spanish and Portuguese empires in South America. As other European powers began to expand their empires in the Caribbean and North America, the slave trade grew dramatically, and during the eighteenth century, the number of slaves being brought to the New World increased from an annual average of thirty thousand in the 1690s to 87 thousand in the 1790s. The transatlantic slave trade reached its peak between the 1750 and 1850, and an average of 74 thousand slaves were brought to the Americas each year between these dates. The largest decline came as the slave trade was disrupted during the American War of Independence (1775-1783), although the trade became weakened as the abolitionist movement gained momentum in Europe and the Americas around the turn of the century. The most significant impacts came as the slave trade was abolished in Britain and the U.S. in 1807 and Brazil in 1831, and Britain then used its position as the global superpower to impose abolition on other nations and used the Royal Navy to enforce these measures. While most nations abolished the slave trade in the early 1800s, it would take decades before the actual practice of slavery would be abolished; today, slavery is illegal in almost every country, however modern slavery in the forms of forced labor, human trafficking and sexual exploitation continues to be prevalent across the globe.

“Slave Statistics” consists of 7,289 records derived from lists of enslaved individuals in Anne Arundel and Montgomery counties as of November 1, 1864, the date when the Constitution of 1864, which abolished slavery in the state of Maryland, took effect. Maryland remained in the Union during the Civil War, despite the divided loyalties of her people. Because Maryland was a Union state, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation did not free Maryland slaves. Many enslaved people, however, had taken advantage of the war's confusion to leave their enslavers earlier, some by joining the Union Army. Hoping that the federal government would repay the state's loyalty and compensate its citizens for the chattels lost, the General Assembly ordered that a listing be made of all slaveholders and their slaves as of November 1, 1864. The federal government never compensated the owners, but these records, called “Slave Statistics,” are the only evidence available of enslaved people and owners at the time of state emancipation. The Maryland State Archives retains the Slave Statistics reports for 1867-1869 for eight Maryland counties; the dataset includes information from two of the eight counties, Anne Arundel and Montgomery. The dataset includes all information on the original lists, including names of enslavers; county and district of residence; names of enslaved individuals and their physical condition, term of servitude, and Union Army service, including regiment; record date; and compensation (if applicable).

Between 1628 and 1860, it is estimated that almost 390 thousand Africans were transported as slaves to European colonies in Mainland North America. This figure refers only to those who survived the journey, as it is also thought that over 470 thousand captives embarked on these ships at African ports, however 84 thousand died en route (giving a mortality rate of 17.7 percent). The transportation of African slaves to the Thirteen Colonies was highest in the mid-18th century (although there was some fluctuation), before an observable decline around the time of the American Revolutionary War. Following independence, the importation of slaves remained lower than in previous decades, until it saw a sharp increase in the five years leading up to the slave trade's abolition. In 1807 alone, the year before the U.S. abolished the slave trade, almost 29 thousand slaves were imported from Africa into the U.S. Following this, activity declined greatly; the relatively small number of slaves imported from Africa to the U.S. were most likely into the Spanish territory of Florida. Smuggling also existed on a smaller scale; this accounts for the entries in 1858 and 1860.

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of Slavery No More

This study presents data pertaining to slave sales and appraisals that took place from 1775 to 1865 in eight states of the southern United States: Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia, and Mississippi. The data were obtained from probate records on deposit in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Genealogical Society Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. Variables document the sale locations and the appraised and sale values of the slaves, as well as the slaves' age, sex, occupational skills, and condition of health. A related study is SLAVE HIRES, 1775-1865 (ICPSR 7422), also prepared by Robert W. Fogel and Stanley L. Engerman.

This study presents data pertaining to slave hiring transactions that occurred between 1775-1865 in eight states of the southern United States: Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia, and Mississippi. The data were obtained from probate records on deposit in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Genealogical Society Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. Variables document the location of the hiring transaction and the period and rate of hire, as well as the hired slaves' age, sex, occupational skills, and condition of health. A related study is SLAVE SALES AND APPRAISALS, 1775-1865 (ICPSR 7421), also prepared by Robert W. Fogel and Stanley L. Engerman.

A range of available data from various organisations relating to modern slavery.

This statistic shows the number of black men and women in the US from 1820 until 1880. Slavery was legal in the Southern States of the US until 1865, when the Thirteenth Amendment was added to the US Constitution after the American Civil War. Until that time all of the slaves included in this statistic were registered as living in the South, whereas the majority of the free, black men and women lived in the Northern States. From the data we can see that, while the slave experience was very different for men and women, there was relatively little difference between their numbers in each respective category. While female slaves were more likely to serve in domestic roles, they were also more likely to be working in the lowest and unskilled jobs on plantations, whereas men were given more skilled and physically demanding roles. As slavery was abolished in 1870, all black people from this point were considered free in the census data. It is also worth noticing that in these years the difference in the number of men and women increased, most likely as a result of all the black male soldiers who fell fighting in the American Civil War.

This study uses historical records from 36 archives in the United States to analyze 8,437 enslaved people's sale and/or appraisal prices from 1797 to 1865.

Human Trafficking Statistics: Human trafficking remains a pervasive global issue, with millions of individuals subjected to exploitation and abuse each year. According to recent statistics, an estimated 25 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking, with the majority being women and children. This lucrative criminal industry generates profits of over $150 billion annually, making it one of the most profitable illegal trades globally. As market research analysts, it's imperative to understand the scale and impact of human trafficking to develop effective strategies for prevention and intervention. Efforts to combat human trafficking have intensified in recent years, driven by increased awareness and advocacy. However, despite these efforts, the problem persists, with trafficking networks adapting to evade law enforcement and exploit vulnerabilities in communities. Through comprehensive data analysis and research, we can uncover trends, identify high-risk areas, and develop targeted interventions to disrupt trafficking networks and support survivors. In this context, understanding human trafficking statistics is crucial for informing policy decisions, resource allocation, and collaborative efforts to combat this grave violation of human rights. Editor’s Choice Every year, approximately 4.5 billion people become victims of forced sex trafficking. Two out of three immigrants become victims of human trafficking, regardless of their international travel method. There are 5.4 victims of modern slavery for every 1000 people worldwide. An estimated 40.3 million individuals are trapped in modern-day slavery, with 24.9 million in forced labor and 15.4 million in forced marriage. Around 16.55 million reported human trafficking cases have occurred in the Asia Pacific region. Out of 40 million human trafficking victims worldwide, 25% are children. The highest proportion of forced labor trafficking cases occurs in domestic work, accounting for 30%. The illicit earnings from human trafficking amount to approximately USD 150 billion annually. The sex trafficking industry globally exceeds the size of the worldwide cocaine market. Only 0.4% of survivors of human trafficking cases are detected. Currently, there are 49.6 million people in modern slavery worldwide, with 35% being children. Sex trafficking is the most common type of trafficking in the U.S. In 2022, there were 88 million child sexual abuse material (CSAM) files reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) tip line. Child sex trafficking has been reported in all 50 U.S. states. Human trafficking is a USD 150 billion industry globally. It ranks as the second most profitable illegal industry in the United States. 25 million people worldwide are denied their fundamental right to freedom. 30% of global human trafficking victims are children. Women constitute 49% of all victims of global trafficking. In 2019, 62% of victims in the US were identified as sex trafficking victims. In the same year, US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grantees reported that 68% of clients served were victims of labor trafficking. Human traffickers in the US face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison. In France, 74% of exploited victims in 2018 were victims of sex trafficking. You May Also Like To Read Domestic Violence Statistics Sexual Assault Statistics Crime Statistics FBI Crime Statistics Referral Marketing Statistics Prison Statistics GDPR Statistics Piracy Statistics Notable Ransomware Statistics DDoS Statistics Divorce Statistics

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of Foundation for A Slavery Free World

Arab States have the highest prevalence rate of victims of forced labor worldwide as of 2021. In this region, there are on average *** victims of forced labor per 1,000 inhabitants. By comparison, Africa is the region with the lowest prevalence rate at ***. Interestingly, while Asia and the Pacific has the highest number of victims worldwide, it has the second lowest prevalence rate together with the Americas.

A “runaway slave record,” or as it is officially titled, “Runaway and Escaped Slaves Records, 1794, 1806-1863,” include accounts, correspondence, receipts, and reports concerning expenses incurred by localities related to the capture of enslaved people attempting to escape bondage to pursue freedom. The collection also includes records with information related to enslaved people from multiple localities who escaped to United States military forces during the Civil War. While many independent businesses bought and sold human beings, local and state governments such as the state of Virginia also participated in and profited from human trafficking. Localities were reimbursed for the expenses of confining, feeding, and selling of self-emancipated people, and likewise, the state established procedures to compensate enslavers for their financial loss when enslaved people ran away or were imprisoned or executed. If a person was captured and their enslaver could not be identified, they became the property of the state and were sold. The proceeds from these sales went to the state treasury, and often, records of those sales can be found in the Public Claims records from the Auditor of Public Accounts. The net proceeds were deposited into the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Literary Fund for the public education of poor white children.

The data in this collection is drawn directly from the historical documents and may contain language that is now deemed offensive.

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of End Slavery Now

The 1900 full-count US census includes 2,080,169 Black Americans who were born prior to 1866, many of whom were formerly enslaved. This dataset includes the FamilySearch census transcriptions for these individuals including their name, gender, birthplace, birth year, and where they were living in 1900. The dataset also includes a link to a profile on the Family Tree for 84% of these individuals. These profiles provide access to information on other family members, helpful life sketch contextual information, and additional sources attached to the profile. To use the dataset, click the blue "Access Dataset" button to the right or click the blue download arrow next to the dataset file below.

The Valuing Enslaved Lives in Fauquier County, Virginia, 1798-1865 (VEL) dataset is a longitudinal approach to the study of enslaved family genealogy, enslaved communities, the economics of the domestic slave trade, and the relationship between age and commodified value in a slave society. The VEL contains information extracted from 242 select documents—184 appraisals and inventories, 36 divisions of estates, and 22 records of sales—from two main collections of probate records: Fauquier County Will Books 3 through 30 and collections of probate documents compiled in the Circuit Superior Court’s Records at Large created between 1821 and 1882. The VEL dataset is not a complete record of all enslaved people identified in county probate records, but reflects data extracted from individual probate records that included at least one enslaved person identified by age and appraised value to serve as both a family history and research tool. The VEL dataset identifies 3,412 named and 219 unnamed enslaved individuals born between 1732 and 1865 whose appraised values were recorded in Fauquier County, Virginia probate records between 1798 and 1865. This includes entries for 2,200 enslaved individuals identified as female, 2,335 enslaved males, and 208 individuals of unknown gender recorded in 5,045 lines of data. The VEL also includes the names of 373 men who served as appraisers—people responsible for calculating the monetary value of each enslaved person—and 495 enslavers who profited from this commodified wealth in human property.

This project entailed recording and coding information from slave narratives gathered as part of the Federal Writers' Project. Between 1936 and 1938, federal authorities organized teams of interviewers in seventeen states who gathered the recollections of over two thousand former slaves. The typescript of these interviews, running to more than ten thousand pages, was deposited in the Library of Congress and has been available on microfiche for many years. Information on the actions, attitudes, beliefs and experiences of slaves was coded from 2,358 slave narratives.