Populations

Populations of States and Territories in 1860

Summary

General estimates of the population of the USA average about 20 million people in the loyal Union states and 11 million in the seceded Confederate states.

The black population was about 14% of the whole, with about 227,000 in the Union states and 4,216,000 in the Confederate states.

The foreign-born white population was about 13% of the whole, with 3,904,000 in the Union states and 234,000 in the Confederate states.

The origins of the foreign-born white populations in the Union states were as follows:  Ireland 39%, German States 31%, England 11%, British America (Canada) 6%, Scotland 3%, France 2%, and other countries 8%.

The foreign-born population in the Confederate states originated as follows: Ireland 36%, German States 31%, France 9%, England 7%, Scotland 3%, British America (Canada) 1%, and other countries 13%.

Union States Population
NEW YORK 3,880,735
PENNSYLVANIA 2,906,215
OHIO 2,339,511
ILLINOIS 1,711,951
INDIANA 1,350,428
MASSACHUSETTS 1,231,066
WISCONSIN 775,881
MICHIGAN 749,113
IOWA 674,913
NEW JERSEY 672,035
MAINE 628,279
CONNECTICUT 460,147
CALIFORNIA 379,994
NEW HAMPSHIRE 326,073
VERMONT 315,098
RHODE ISLAND 174,620
MINNESOTA 172,023
DELAWARE 112,216
KANSAS 107,206
OREGON 52,465
UNION TOTAL 19,019,969
Confederate States Population
VIRGINIA 1,596,318
TENNESSEE 1,109,801
GEORGIA 1,057,287
NORTH CAROLINA 992,622
ALABAMA 964,201
MISSISSIPPI 791,305
LOUISIANA 708,002
SOUTH CAROLINA 703,708
TEXAS 604,215
ARKANSAS 435,450
FLORIDA 140,424
CONFEDERATE TOTAL 9,103,333
Border States  Population
MISSOURI 1,182,012
KENTUCKY 1,155,684
MARYLAND 687,049
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 75,080
BORDER STATES & DC TOTAL 3,099,825
Territories Population
NEW MEXICO 93,516
UTAH 40,273
COLORADO 34,277
NEBRASKA 28,841
WASHINGTON 11,594
NEVADA 6,857
DAKOTA 4,831
TERRITORIES TOTAL 220,189
ALL STATES AND TERRITORIES 1860 31,443,316

Estimated Military Population 1860

Military Population is defined in this context as white males aged between 18 and 45.
Frontier states tended to have a higher white male population than settled states.

In areas with a high black population, especially in slave-holding states, the military population was therefore comparatively low until black men were accepted as combatants. This black population increasingly became a resource for military service in the Union army.

The total military population of the nation was 5,624,065 or about 17% of the entire population.

State Population % Military Population* Military Population
NEW YORK 3,880,735 20.5 795,551
PENNSYLVANIA 2,906,215 19.1 555,087
OHIO 2,339,511 19.6 458,544
ILLINOIS 1,711,951 21.9 374,917
INDIANA 1,350,428 19.6 264,684
MASSACHUSETTS 1,231,066 21.0 258,524
WISCONSIN 775,881 20.5 159,056
MICHIGAN 749,113 21.9 164,056
IOWA 674,913 20.6 139,032
NEW JERSEY 672,035 19.6 131,719
MAINE 628,279 19.5 122,514
CONNECTICUT 460,147 20.5 94,330
CALIFORNIA 379,994 44.8 170,237
NEW HAMPSHIRE 326,073 19.5 63,584
VERMONT 315,098 19.2 60,499
RHODE ISLAND 174,620 20.3 35,448
MINNESOTA 172,023 24.0 41,286
DELAWARE 112,216 16.3 18,291
KANSAS 107,206 26.1 27,981
OREGON 52,465 30.1
UNION TOTAL 19,019,969 227,000 black 1% and 3,904,000 foreign-born 21%
VIRGINIA 1,596,318 12.3 196,347
TENNESSEE 1,109,801 14.4 159,811
GEORGIA 1,057,287 11.6 122,645
NORTH CAROLINA 992,622 11.6 115,144
ALABAMA 964,201 10.4 100,277
MISSISSIIPPI 791,305 8.9 70,426
LOUISIANA 708,002 11.8 83,544
SOUTH CAROLINA 703,708 7.8 54,889
TEXAS 604,215 15.3 92,445
ARKANSAS 435,450 15.0 65,318
FLORIDA 140,424 11.2 15,727
CONFEDERATE TOTAL 9,103,333 4,216,000 black 46% and 234,000 foreign-born 3%
MISSOURI 1,182,012 19.7 232,856
KENTUCKY 1,155,684 15.6 80,287
MARYLAND 687,049 15.0 103,057
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 75,080 17.0 12,764
BORDER STATES & DC TOTAL 3,099,825
NEW MEXICO 93,516
UTAH 40,273
COLORADO 34,277
NEBRASKA 28,841
WASHINGTON 11,594
NEVADA 6,857
DAKOTA 4,831
TERRITORIES TOTAL 220,189 34.6 76,185
TOTAL POPULATION OF USA 31,443,316    

Populations of Largest Cities in the United States 1860 (Over 40,000)

  1. New York NY         813,669
  2. Philadelphia PA    565,529
  3. Brooklyn NY          266,661
  4. Baltimore MD        212,418
  5. Boston MA              177,840
  6. New Orleans LA    168,675
  7. Cincinnati OH        161,044
  8. St Louis MO            160,773
  9. Chicago IL               109,260
  10. Buffalo NY                81,129
  11. Newark NJ                71,942
  12. Louisville KY            68,033
  13. Albany NY                 62,367
  14. Washington DC        61,122
  15. San Francisco CA     56,802
  16. Providence RI           50,666
  17. Pittsburgh PA            49,217
  18. Rochester NY            48,204
  19. Detroit MI                  45,619
  20. Milwaukee WI          45,246
  21. Cleveland OH            43,417
  22. Charleston SC            40,522

Populations of Cities in the general area of hostilities 1860 (over 4,000)

Most populous cities captured or occupied by Union forces during the war

  1. Baltimore 1861                  MD         212,418
  2. New Orleans 1862            LA          168,675
  3. St Louis 1861                       MO         160,773
  4. Louisville 1861                   KY          68,033
  5. Washington 1861              DC          61,122
  6. Charleston 1864                SC           40,522
  7. Richmond 1865                 VA          37,910
  8. Mobile 1865                        AL          29,528
  9. Memphis 1862                   TN          22,623
  10. Savannah 1864                  GA          22,292
  11. Petersburg 1865                 VA          18,266
  12. Nashville 1862                   TN          16,988
  13. Norfolk 1862                      VA          14,620
  14. Alexandria 1861                 VA          12,652
  15. Augusta 1864                     GA          12,493
  16. Atlanta 1864                       GA          9,554
  17. Wilmington 1865              NC          9,552
  18. Lexington 1861                  KY          9,321
  19. Montgomery 1865            AL          8,843
  20. Macon 1864                        GA          8,247
  21. San Antonio 1861              TX          8,235
  22. Frederick 1861                   MD         8,193
  23. Columbia 1864                   SC           8,052
  24. Galveston 1863                  TX          7,307
  25. Lynchburg 1864                 VA          6,853
  26. Natchez 1862                       MI          6,612
  27. New Bern 1862                  NC          5,432
  28. Baton Rouge 1862            LA          5,428
  29. Fredericksburg 1862        VA          5,022
  30. Houston 1865                     TX          4,845
  31. Fayetteville 1865              NC          4,790
  32. Raleigh 1865                       NC          4,780
  33. Vicksburg 1863                  NC          4,591
  34. Winchester 1861               VA          4,392
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