This is the second essay addressing the question of whether there were large numbers of slaves from Northern states sold to people in Southern states instead of being set free. The process begins with a review of the 1790 and 1800 censuses.

In 1790 there were 40,000 slaves in what would become free states, and in the South, there were 654,000. By 1800 those numbers were 36,000 and 856,000 respectively. As for not white free people in 1790, the North had 27,000 and the South 32,000. In 1800 the numbers were 47,000 in the North and 57,000 in the South.

The number of slaves in the “free” states are much smaller than the number in the South. Thus, the answer to the question will depend on the definition of large. In reality, it would be awful for any slave to remain enslaved as opposed to being set free as the spirit of the state laws intended. Yet, for this exercise 10,000 will be considered large.

The manumission of slaves in New York is a very different from the challenge in Virginia even as early as 1800. Virginia had 346,000 slaves. That is greater than the total population of 9 of the states. Slaves represented 39% of the population in Virginia. New York’s 21,000 slaves represented 4% of the population. Given the attitudes across the country represented by colonization societies, it is little wonder New York made more progress than Virginia.

From 1790 to 1800, the not white free population grew by 20,000 in the North and by 25,000 in the South or by 74% and 77% respectively. These were the fastest growing populations. During the same period, the slave population reduced by 10% in the North and increased by 31% in the South. This rate of growth in the South is below the growth rate of whites at 37%.

One explanation for the not white free populations’ rapid growth in the North and South is that slaves were being freed in similar numbers. Next essay we will see at how things look according to the 1820 census.