Chapter XIII. POPULATION Beginning with 150 persons in 1670 South Carolina's population has grown to 1,474,735 in 1907, but the rate of increase has not by any means kept pace with that in the other settled sections of the United States where prosperity holds sway. The causes it is not necessary to discuss with one who has read the preceding pages. The density per square mile has increased until it is 48.2 persons in 1907, but of the total population there are 848,794 negroes. In 1790 there were 8.2 persons to the square mile. The percentage of increase has not by any means kept pace with the average for all the States of the Union. At present, including negroes, the annual average increase is only about 18,917, less than one day's arrivals of new citizens at the port of New York for distribution in the various portions of the country. South Carolina's rate of increase between 1870 and 1880 was the largest in her history, but the average was made high by the great increase in negroes. Up to 1750 the population was entirely European born. The whole story of the State's population, treated numerically, and rates of increase is told so completely in the accompanying tables I and II that it is unnecessary to analyze them further. Neither will much more be said as to the negro, for the facts as to how he came here, the period of slavery, and his present status are told clearly and sufficiently in other chapters. TABLE I.-POPULATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA FROM 1670 TO 1907. 1705.. 1700.. 1800.. 1810.. 1820.. 1830.. 1840.. 1850.. 1860.. 1870.. 1880.. 1800.. 1000.. 1905.. 1907.. 123.000 38.000 85.000 38.7 20. I 15.6 9 2.2 II 12.4 14 5.2 18 249,073 140,178 108,805 8.2 16.4 .06 345.591 196.255 149.336 11.5 17.4 .06 415.115 214.196 200.919 13.8 17.7 .05 502,741 237-440 265,301 16.7 18.9 .05 581,185 257.863 323.322 19.3 594.398 259,084 335.314 668.507 274.563 393-944 22.2 703.708 201.300 412.320 23-31 705.706 289.667 415.814 25-3 30.3 .01.8 0.2 22 995.577 391,105 604.332 32.9 32. .01.9 1.151.140 462.215 688.934 38.2 1.340.316, 557.005 782.321 1.434.901 606.885 828.016 48. 1.474.735 625.941 848.794 48.2 TABLE II-PERCENTAGE OF INCREASE OF THE POPULATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA Table III is particularly interesting, as it shows the drifting of the negro problem to the Eastern, Northern and Middle Western States. It is worthy of special attention that South Carolina is the only State proper in the list that shows for the decade between 1890 and 1900 an actual decrease in the percentage of increase of negro population, as compared to the preceding decade. This movement of South Carolina negroes has been more pronounced during the past five years, the trunk lines of railroads passing through the State and the State's geographical location being the chief agencies in the inducing of negro laborers to migrate. Herein is found also the explanation of the increased demand and opportunities for white settlers and laborers. TABLE IV.-MOVEMENT OF THE POPULATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE UNITED STATES AND FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. The median age of the negro in South Carolina is not above 16 years due to the great birth rate and the high death rate. No attempt shall be made to trace the history of the large emigration of white South Carolinians, which is referred to and in a measure explained in the opening chapters of this volume. That there were opportunities in other sections which were closed in South Carolina at certain periods largely as a result of the vicissitudes of war are amply shown by Table IV herewith, which gives the statement of these losses compactly and sufficiently. The full statistics as to the population of the several counties, the divisions of population of the State, are given in Table V herewith. This table gives the population from 1790 to date by decades, and is valuable in that it also gives data as to the establishment and creation of each county as it was formed. TABLE V.-POPULATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA BY COUNTIES, 1790 TO 1906. "Organized from part of Charleston in 1882, part taken to form part of Dorchester in 1897, and part annexed to Charleston since 1890. Part taken to form Berkeley in 1882, part of Berkeley annexed since 1890. Organized from parts of Spartanburg, Union, and York in 1897. "Part taken to form part of Florence in 1888, part annexed to Florence in 1890. 11Parts taken to form Saluda in 1896, and part of Greenwood in 1897. 12Organized from parts of Clarendon, Darlington, Marion, and Williamsburg in 1888; part of Darlington annexed since 1890. 13Organized from parts of Abbeville and Edgefield in 1897. |