6,511 | 83.98|
|1820|434,644| 34.05| 2,759| 61.06|126,732| 57.31| 564,317[243]| 38.82|
|1830|517,787| 19.12| 4,917| 78.21|165,213| 30.36| 687,917 | 21.09|
|1840|590,253| 13.99| 7,317| 48.81|182,258| 10.31| 779,828 | 13.36|
|1850|761,413| 28.99| 10,011| 36.81|210,981| 15.75| 982,405 | 25.98|
|1860|919,484| 20.76| 10,684| 6.72|225,483| 6.87|1,155,684[244]| 17.64|

A study of the growth of the slave and white population of Kentucky
from 1790 to 1860 is necessary to an adequate understanding of the
slave problem. It will be found advantageous to deal with two sets of
figures--one relating to the slave population within the State and the
other with the slave increase in Kentucky as compared with the
general increase throughout the United States. It would not be of any
value to compare the figures for Kentucky with those of any other
State, for that would involve the discussion of local factors which
are beyond the scope of this investigation.

First of all we shall take the census statistics for the State for all
eight of the enumerations which were taken during the slavery era. The
figures for the year 1790 were originally taken when Kentucky was a
part of the State of Virginia, but they are included, since Kentucky
became a State before the census was published. Furthermore they
furnish an interesting light upon the growth of the slave population
during the first decade of the new commonwealth. The important part of
this table is in the increases, on a percentage basis, in the slave
and white populations. Another viewpoint of the growth of the slave
population may be seen in this little table:

RATIO OF SLAVES TO THE TOTAL POPULATION

Per Cent
1790 16.1
1800 18.2
1810 19.18
1820 22.4
1830 24.0
1840 23.3
1850 21.4
1860 19.5

Here it will be seen that the proportion of slaves increased down to
1830 and then began to decline. Most authorities are agreed that this
was in a large measure due to the enactment of the law of 1833
forbidding the importation of slaves into Kentucky. But before dealing
with that question it would be well to have before us the figures for
the whole country at the same period.

FREE NEGRO AND SLAVE POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES, 1790 TO 1860,
WITH RATES OF INCREASE

====================================================================
| Free Negro |Per Cent Increase| Slaves |Per Cent Increase |