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Common historical fallacies: Difference between revisions

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[[File:US-SlaveryPercentbyState1790-1860.svg|thumb|Evolution of the enslaved population of the United States as a percentage of the population of each state, 1790–1860]]
[[File:US-SlaveryPercentbyState1790-1860.svg|thumb|Evolution of the enslaved population of the United States as a percentage of the population of each state, 1790–1860]]
==== logical fallacy 1: colonial slave v. overall population growth ====
==== logical fallacy 1: colonial slave v. overall population growth ====
* the growth of colonial African slavery was linear until the development of the cotton gin
* the growth of colonial African slavery was linear (upward but constant) until the development of the cotton gin
** after which, given the truly slave-dependent cotton economy ("king cotton") slavery became a more important element of the US economy
*** but it was never a dominant or even majority source of American economic activity
** up to 1800, colonial population growth was much higher for whites than for slaves
** up to 1800, colonial population growth was much higher for whites than for slaves
** whereas, after 1800, slave population increased dramatically, overtaking white populations in many areas of the south
** whereas, after 1800, slave population increased dramatically, overtaking white populations in many areas of the south
*** therefore slavery was not the basis of the colonial development
*** therefore increases in the slave population was not the basis of the colonial development
click EXPAND to view comparative table of colonial white and slave population growth:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|Year
|Year
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|98.1%
|98.1%
|}
|}
*
</div>
==== logical fallacy 2: colonial per capita wealth not reliant upon slavery ====
==== logical fallacy 2: colonial per capita wealth not reliant upon slavery ====
* as a proportion of per capita private wealth in 1774:
* in 1774, slavery represented a significant proportion of per capita private wealth:
** chart to be completed
** 28.7% of national per capita wealth
{| class="wikitable"
** 31.7% of southern per capita wealth
||Wealth source|| All 13 colonies || New England || Middle Colonies || South
*** measured here as an asset, slavery was less than 1/3rd overall colonial wealth
|-
*** = ''static'' measurement (snapshot of current values)
| Land ||49.6% || || ||
*** but not a measurement of economic output
|-
**** just as an office building has a value but its economic output is measured not by its value but by the sum of its rents
| Servants & Slaves || 28.0%|| || ||
|-
| Farm & Non-Farm equipment, livestock, Materials Durables & Perishables || 22.9%|| || ||
|-
| Financial Assets||16.2 || || ||
|-
|}
 


=== late 1700s to early 1800s manumission ===
=== late 1700s to early 1800s manumission ===