Query. 6. At what Period was slavery
wholly abolished ? what were their
Numbers & proportion to the whites at
that Period ?
Th It has been observed that the formal
evidence of the abo-
lition of Slavery in
Massachusetts was the re-
turn made by the Marshal of the district in the
Census of 1790. [See page 12]
In ye Schedule drawn sent out on that occasion by the
sers
Federal Governmt: there were 3 columns for
whites free whites a column for
"slaves" wh in
Masss & ye District of Maine amounted to
469,326
& another for "all other free Persons" & another for
"Slaves" -- There being none put into the last,
column, it became necessary to put the blacks
with the Indians & into ye list of
"other free persons" this amounted
to 6,001 of which No I
suppose ye blacks amounted were
to upwards of 4000 & of the remaining 2000
many were of a mixed breed between Indians
& Negroes. If we reckon the blacks at 5000
their proportion to the whites at that time
will be no more than will be as 94 1 to 93.
--
[Belknap added up columns of numbers in the left margin, so as to insert the totals in the above paragraph. The columns of numbers are: 24,384 + 24,748 + 46,870 + 95,453 + 87,289 + 190,582 = 469,326; and 538 + 5,463 = 6,001.]
It is supposed than [that] there are now about 1000
negroes
in ye Town of
Boston, exclusive of those lately driven come
from ye
W Indies with the French
emigrants.