How many freed slaves were there in the US in 1865?

Asked by: Prof. Natalia Stokes IV  |  Last update: February 25, 2026
Score: 4.3/5 (50 votes)

In 1865, approximately four million enslaved people were freed in the U.S. following the Civil War and the 13th Amendment, though the process happened gradually as Union armies advanced and as states ratified the amendment, with millions more gaining freedom through emancipation and escape throughout the war years. The Emancipation Proclamation started freeing slaves in Confederate states in 1863, but the 13th Amendment in December 1865 legally ended slavery nationwide, freeing those in border states like Kentucky and Delaware.

Did anyone get 40 Acres and a Mule?

Yes, some formerly enslaved people did receive land under General Sherman's "40 Acres and a Mule" promise (Special Field Orders No. 15), with about 40,000 settling on 400,000 acres, but President Andrew Johnson reversed the order, forcing most to return the land to former enslavers, though some land titles and family legacies, like Jim Hutchinson's on Edisto Island, persisted. The promise became a widely known symbol of broken reparations, but recent investigative journalism uncovered forgotten land titles and descendants of those who did hold onto their plots, proving it wasn't entirely a myth, just mostly undone.
 

What percentage of blacks were free in 1860?

In that raging year of Lincoln's election and Southern secession, there were a total of 488,070 free blacks living in the United States, about 10 percent of the entire black population.

Which president had 600 slaves?

Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. President and author of the Declaration of Independence, enslaved over 600 Black people throughout his life, the most of any U.S. president, with many working at his Monticello plantation and also in the White House. Jefferson's life presented a paradox, as he championed liberty while holding hundreds in bondage, a contradiction highlighted by the enslaved individuals who served him. 

When were the last slaves actually freed?

The last enslaved people in the United States were effectively freed on June 19, 1865, in Texas, with the arrival of Union troops who enforced freedom after the Civil War. However, slavery officially ended nationwide with the ratification of the 13th Amendment in December 1865, freeing remaining enslaved people in places like Delaware and Kentucky where it persisted longer, though some sources note its continued existence in Indian Territory until late 1866. 

What Actually Happened When Slaves Were Freed

20 related questions found

Which president freed the most slaves?

President Abraham Lincoln freed the most slaves through the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and the 13th Amendment (ratified 1865), which abolished slavery nationwide, freeing millions, though it was a gradual process involving Union armies and Black agency, not an immediate blanket release. 

What race was enslaved for 400 years?

People of African descent were the primary race enslaved for approximately 400 years in the Americas, beginning with the forced arrival of enslaved Africans in English North America in 1619, a system of racialized chattel slavery that profoundly shaped U.S. history and continues to impact society today. This transatlantic slave trade forcibly brought millions of Africans to the Americas, creating enduring legacies of inequality and struggle for African Americans.
 

What president never owned slaves?

Several U.S. Presidents never owned slaves, with the earliest being John Adams (2nd President) and his son John Quincy Adams (6th President), who were both strongly opposed to the institution; later presidents like Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Abraham Lincoln also did not own slaves, with Lincoln famously leading the nation to abolish slavery. 

Why did Jefferson never free his slaves?

So Jefferson was always under the cloud that he couldn't free his slaves because they could be seized by his debtors. Also, in 1806, a law was passed in Virginia that said if a person freed slaves, those slaves had to leave the state within one year or they'd be seized by the state [as slaves].

What president bought slaves to free them?

President James Buchanan is known for buying enslaved people in Washington, D.C., and then bringing them to Pennsylvania to be freed or become indentured servants, a nuanced action that some historians view as personal abolition efforts, while others note he never enacted broad anti-slavery legislation as president. He bought a Black mother and daughter in 1835, bringing them to Pennsylvania where they became indentured servants under terms not required by Pennsylvania law, a common practice at the time. While accounts suggest he freed others while in office, records are less clear, and his actions don't equate to abolitionist legislation. 

How many white slaves were there in total?

Estimates suggest between 1 million and 1.25 million European Christians were enslaved by North African Barbary pirates from the 16th to 18th centuries, a significant figure often overlooked in discussions of slavery, though smaller than the transatlantic slave trade. These individuals were captured in raids on European coasts and ships, forced into labor in North Africa and the Ottoman Empire as galley rowers, construction workers, and domestic servants. 

Which US colony had the most slaves?

In fact, throughout the colonial period, Virginia had the largest slave population, followed by Maryland.

Could Black slaves buy their freedom?

African slaves were freed in the North American colonies as early as the 17th century. Some, such as Anthony Johnson, went on to become landowners and slaveholders themselves. Slaves could sometimes arrange manumission by agreeing to "purchase themselves" by paying the master an agreed amount.

What did Abraham Lincoln say about black people?

Abraham Lincoln held complex, evolving views: he personally hated slavery but, until late in the Civil War, believed Black and white people could not be social or political equals, opposing Black suffrage, juries, and office-holding due to perceived physical differences, a common view at the time. However, his views shifted, and by his last speech, he supported voting rights for educated Black men and Black soldiers, advocating for the 13th Amendment to end slavery and showing a greater openness to Black civil rights. 

How much would 40 acres and mule be worth today?

“The value of 40 acres and a mule today is a matter of debate, but some estimates put it at over $6 trillion. This is based on the assumption that the land would be worth the same as it was in 1865, adjusted for inflation and that the mule would be worth the same as a modern tractor.”

Did blacks get land grants after the Civil War?

William T. Sherman's Special Field Orders No. 15, which in January 1865 laid out redistribution of Confederate land in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida to former slaves under certain conditions. That land was quickly returned to white Southerners by President Andrew Johnson in the fall of 1865.

What president had 600 slaves?

Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. President and author of the Declaration of Independence, enslaved over 600 Black people throughout his life, the most of any U.S. president, with many working at his Monticello plantation and also in the White House. Jefferson's life presented a paradox, as he championed liberty while holding hundreds in bondage, a contradiction highlighted by the enslaved individuals who served him. 

What did George Washington say about slavery?

Throughout the 1780s and 1790s, Washington stated privately that he no longer wanted to be a slaveowner, that he did not want to buy and sell slaves or separate enslaved families, and that he supported a plan for gradual abolition in the United States. Yet, Washington did not always act on his antislavery principles.

Which founding father did not own slaves?

John Adams, Samuel Adams, Thomas Paine, and Alexander Hamilton were non-slave-owners. All of these men were Northerners. Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, both from Virginia, were slave-owners, despite regarding it as an evil.

Which president hated slavery?

Abraham Lincoln is the U.S. President most known for fighting for the abolition of slavery, issuing the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War and championing the 13th Amendment, which permanently ended slavery in the United States after his leadership. While his initial war aim was preserving the Union, his actions transformed the conflict into a fight for freedom, leading to the freedom of enslaved people in rebelling states and paving the way for total abolition. 

Which presidents have no descendants?

Five presidents fathered no (known, biological) children: George Washington, James Madison, Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and James Buchanan.

How many presidents have been assassinated?

There were also four presidents who died by assassination—Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy.

Did Egyptians use white slaves?

Ottoman Egypt: 1517–1805

Slavery in Ottoman Egypt mainly continued the same system established during the Mamluk Sultanate. White slaves were made in to Mamluk soldiers and their concubines and wives, while Black African slaves were used for domestic service and hard labor.

Is Kunta Kinte a true story?

Kunta Kinte is a semi-fictional character, the central figure in Alex Haley's Roots, based loosely on one of Haley's ancestors from Gambia, but his detailed story blends verifiable facts with significant fictional elements, though Haley maintained it was rooted in his family's oral history, leading to later scholarly debate and admission of fictionalized parts. 

What country took the most slaves from Africa?

The estimated total number of slaves who disembarked is as follows:

  • Portugal / Brazil: 5,099,815.
  • Britain: 2,733,324.
  • France: 1,164,967.
  • Spain / Uruguay: 884,922.
  • Netherlands: 475,240.
  • U.S.A: 252,652.
  • Denmark/Baltics: 91,733.