These figures count each individual as one person, and do not account for the <em>Three-Fifths Compromise</em>. This was a pre-Civil War method of population counting used in the South, where only three-fifths of the slave population was counted in a state's total population, for political and taxation purposes.
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Population of the Confederate States in the American Civil War 1860-1870
During the American Civil War, not only was the Confederacy made up of fewer states than the Union, but these states were also much less populous than many in the North. For example, in the final census before the war in 1860, the five largest states in the South had around one million inhabitants each, while the largest states in the North had three to four million. In addition to the Union's larger population, the fact that European immigration into urban and industrial centers in the North was much higher also gave the Union a steady supply of recruits that were drafted as the war progressed, which was vital to the Union's victory in 1865.
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U.S. Census Bureau. (June 21, 2024). Population of the Confederate States before and after the American Civil War in 1860 and 1870 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Retrieved July 23, 2026, from /statistics/1010442/population-confederate-states-1860-1870/
U.S. Census Bureau. "Population of the Confederate States before and after the American Civil War in 1860 and 1870 (in 1,000s)." Chart. June 21, 2024. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Accessed July 23, 2026. /statistics/1010442/population-confederate-states-1860-1870/
U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). Population of the Confederate States before and after the American Civil War in 1860 and 1870 (in 1,000s). ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 23, 2026. /statistics/1010442/population-confederate-states-1860-1870/
U.S. Census Bureau. "Population of The Confederate States before and after The American Civil War in 1860 and 1870 (in 1,000s)." ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc., 21 Jun 2024, /statistics/1010442/population-confederate-states-1860-1870/
U.S. Census Bureau, Population of the Confederate States before and after the American Civil War in 1860 and 1870 (in 1,000s) ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, /statistics/1010442/population-confederate-states-1860-1870/ (last visited July 23, 2026)
Population of the Confederate States before and after the American Civil War in 1860 and 1870 (in 1,000s) [Graph], U.S. Census Bureau, June 21, 2024. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1010442/population-confederate-states-1860-1870/