The Indian Territory in the Civil War Message Board

1860 Census

The Preliminary Report on the Eighth Census. 1860.

Population 1860 of Indian Territory

Indian...........65,680
White...............1,988
Free Black........404
Slave................7,369

Total..............75,441

INDIAN SLAVERY.

A new element has been developed by the present census, viz: that of the statistic of negro slavery among the Indian tribes west of Arkansas, comprising the Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek, and Chickasaw nations; also the number of white and free colored population scattered throughout these tribes; all of which, with an estimate from the most reliable sources of the whole number of aborigines, will be found appended to the population tables. By reference to this table it will appear that the Choctaws held 2,297 negro slaves, distributed among 385 owners; the Cherokees, 2,504, held by 384 owners, the Creeks, 1,651, owned by 267 Indians; and the Chickasaws, 917 to 118 owners. As, under all the circumstances of slavery everywhere, the servile race is very unequally distributed, so will appear to be the case with the Indian tribes. While one Choctaw is the owner of 227 slaves, and ten of the largest proprietors own 638, averaging nearly 64, the slaves average about six to each owner of slaves in that tribe, while the Indians number about eight to one slave.

Among the Cherokees the largest proprietor holds 57 slaves; the ten largest own 353, averaging a little over 35, and the number to each holder averages a little more than a half per cent. more than with the Choctows [sic], while the population of Indians in the tribe to slaves as about nine to one. Among the Creeks two hold 75 slaves each; ten own 433, while the ration of slaves to the whole number of Indians varies but little from that with the Cherokees. The largest proprietor among the Chickasaws holds 61 slaves; ten own 275, or an average of 27 1/2, while the average is nearly eight to each owner in the tribe, and one to each five and a half Indians in the tribe. It thus appears that in those tribes there are nearly eight Indians to each negro slave, and that the slaves form about 12 1/2 per cent. f the population, omitting the whites and free colored. The small tribe of Seminoles, although like the tribes above mentioned, transplanted from slaveholding States, holds no slaves, but intermarry with the colored population. These tribes, while they present an advanced state of civilization, and some of them have attained to a condition of comfort, wealth, and refinement, form but a small portion of the Indian tribes within the territory of the United States, and are alluded to on account of their relation to a civil condition recognized by a portion of the States, and which exercise a significant influence with the country at large.

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The Seminole did in fact own slaves. Some number of the slaves and most of the free blacks included in the numbers for the Creek are likely Seminole. In 1860, many Seminole lived within the boundaries of the western Creek Nation and there were Maroon communities along Little River around present Wewoka.

The Preliminary Report on the Eighth Census is online in its entirety at http://books.google.com/books?id=R08UAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=eighth+census&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0RxiUuWSFeiG3AWY_4DoDg&ved=0CEwQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=eighth%20census&f=false