Part 1

THE TRUSTEES OF THE JOHN F. SLATER FUND

OCCASIONAL PAPERS, NO. 6

OCCUPATIONS OF THE NEGROES

BY

HENRY GANNETT, _of the United States Geological Survey_

BALTIMORE PUBLISHED BY THE TRUSTEES 1895

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

_Appointed._ 1882. RUTHERFORD B. HAYES, of Ohio. [1]1893. 1882. MORRISON R. WAITE, of the District of Columbia. [1]1888. 1882. WILLIAM E. DODGE, of New York. [1]1883. 1882. PHILLIPS BROOKS, of Massachusetts. [2]1889. 1882. DANIEL C. GILMAN, of Maryland. 1882. JOHN A. STEWART, of New York. 1882. ALFRED H. COLQUITT, of Georgia. [1]1894. 1882. MORRIS K. JESUP, of New York. 1882. JAMES P. BOYCE, of Kentucky. [1]1888. 1882. WILLIAM A. SLATER, of Connecticut.

_Elected._ 1883. WILLIAM E. DODGE, JR., of New York. 1888. MELVILLE W. FULLER, of the District of Columbia. 1889. JOHN A. BROADUS, of Kentucky. [1]1895. 1889. HENRY C. POTTER, of New York. 1891. J. L. M. CURRY, of the District of Columbia. 1894. WILLIAM J. NORTHEN, of Georgia. 1894. ELLISON CAPERS, of South Carolina. [2]1895. 1894. C. B. GALLOWAY, of Mississippi. 1895. ALEXANDER E. ORR, of New York.

Footnote 1:

Died in office.

Footnote 2:

Resigned.

From 1882 to 1891, the General Agent of the Trust was Rev. A. G. HAYGOOD, D. D., of Georgia, who resigned the office when he became a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Since 1891, the duties of a General Agent have been discharged by Dr. J. L. M. CURRY, of Washington, D. C., Chairman of the Educational Committee.

ANNOUNCEMENT.

The Trustees of the John F. Slater Fund propose to publish from time to time papers that relate to the education of the colored race. These papers are designed to furnish information to those who are concerned in the administration of schools, and also to those who by their official stations are called upon to act or to advise in respect to the care of such institutions.

The Trustees believe that the experimental period in the education of the blacks is drawing to a close. Certain principles that were doubted thirty years ago now appear to be generally recognized as sound. In the next thirty years better systems will undoubtedly prevail, and the aid of the separate States is likely to be more and more freely bestowed. There will also be abundant room for continued generosity on the part of individuals and associations. It is to encourage and assist the workers and the thinkers that these papers will be published.

Each paper, excepting the first number (made up chiefly of official documents), will be the utterance of the writer whose name is attached to it, the Trustees disclaiming in advance all responsibility for the statement of facts and opinions.

OCCUPATIONS OF THE NEGROES.

The statistics of occupations used in this paper are from the Census of 1890, and represent the status of the race on June 1 of that year. The Census takes cognizance only of “gainful” occupations, excluding from its lists housewives, school children, men of leisure, etc. Its schedules deal only with wage-earners, those directly engaged in earning their living.

GENERAL STATISTICS.

In 1890, out of a total population of 62,622,250, 22,753,884 persons, or 34.6 per cent., were engaged in gainful occupations. Of the negroes, including all of mixed negro blood, numbering 7,470,040, 3,073,123, or 41.1 per cent., were engaged in gainful occupations. The proportion was much greater than with the total population. This total population, however, was composed of several diverse elements, including, besides the negroes themselves, the foreign born (of which a large proportion were adult males), and the native whites. The following table presents the proportions of each of these elements which were engaged in gainful occupations:

_Proportion._ _Per Cent._ Total population 34.6 Whites 35.5 Native whites 31.6 Foreign born 55.2 Negroes 41.1

The diagram No. 1 sets forth these figures in graphic form. The total area of the square represents the population. This is sub-divided by horizontal lines into rectangles representing the various elements of the population, and the shaded part of each rectangle represents the proportions engaged in gainful occupations.

The proportion was greatest among the foreign born because of the large proportion of adults, and particularly of males, among this element. Next to that, the proportion was greatest among the negroes, being much greater than among the whites collectively and still greater than among the native whites.

Classifying the wage-earners of the country in respect to race and nativity, it appears that 64.5 per cent. were native whites, 22 per cent. were of foreign birth, and 13.5 per cent. were negroes.

Analyzing the statistics of occupation by sex, it is discovered that the proportion of native white males who had occupations was 53.4 and of females 9.4 per cent. The corresponding proportion of male negroes was 56.3 per cent. and of female negroes 26.0 per cent. The male negroes were slightly more fully occupied than were the native whites, while among females the proportion of wage-earners was much greater. The difference between native whites and negroes in the proportion of wage-earners was, therefore, due mainly to the fuller occupation of women. To put it in another form: Out of every hundred native whites who pursued gainful occupations, 85 were males and 15 were females. Of every hundred negroes, 69 were males and 31 were females. Indeed, a larger proportion of women pursued gainful occupations among negroes than in any other class of the population.

CLASSIFICATION OF OCCUPATIONS.

The primary classification of occupations made by the Census recognized five great groups, as follows: 1. Professions; 2. Agriculture; 3. Trade and transportation; 4. Manufactures; 5. Personal Service. These titles are self-explanatory, with the possible exception of the last class, which is mainly composed of domestic servants.

The following table shows the proportion of the negro wage-earners engaged in each of these groups of occupations. In juxtaposition, for comparison, are placed similar figures for the native whites and the foreign born.

_Native White._ _Foreign Born._ _Negro._ _Per Cent._ _Per Cent._ _Per Cent._ Professions 5.5 2.2 1.1 Agriculture 41.0 25.5 57.2 Trade and transportation 17.0 14.0 4.7 Manufactures 22.9 31.3 5.6 Personal service 13.6 27.0 31.4 ————— ————— ————— 100.0 100.0 100.0

Similar facts are shown by diagram No. 2. In this the total area of the square represents the number of persons in the country pursuing gainful occupations. This is divided into rectangles by horizontal lines, the rectangles being proportioned respectively to the numbers of the native whites, the foreign born, and the negroes. The sub-division of these rectangles by vertical lines indicates the proportion in each group of wage-earners.

The most striking facts brought out by this table and diagram are that only a trifling proportion of the negroes were in the professions, that much more than one-half were farmers, and nearly one-third were engaged in personal (mainly domestic) service. Indeed, over seven-eighths of them were either farmers or servants. The proportions engaged in trade and transportation and in manufactures were very small. In respect to the farming class, they contrasted sharply with the foreign born. In trade and transportation and in manufactures the contrast was even greater, in the contrary direction. The foreign born contained a much larger proportion of professional men.

Comparing the negroes with the native whites, equally interesting contrasts appear. Professional men were much more numerous among whites than among negroes. The proportion of the farming class, although much smaller, was nearer that of the negroes than was the same class among the foreign born. In trade and transportation and in manufactures the native whites had much greater proportions, while in personal service the proportion was much less than that of the negroes.

MALE AND FEMALE WAGE-EARNERS.

It will be interesting to analyze these figures further. The following table classifies negro wage-earners by occupation and by sex, giving for each sex the percentage engaged in each group of occupations:

_Male._ _Female._ Professions 1.2 0.9 Agriculture 63.4 44.0 Trade and transportation 6.8 0.2 Manufactures 7.0 2.8 Personal service 21.6 52.1

These figures are also illustrated by diagram No. 3, the area of which represents all negro wage-earners. The two rectangles into which it is divided represent the males and females; each of these is sub-divided into rectangles representing the number in each group of occupations. Of the male negro wage-earners, more than three-fifths were farmers and a little less than one-fourth were servants. The two classes jointly accounted for nearly 85 per cent. of all.

Of the females, considerably less than one-half were farmers and more than one-half were servants—the two classes together accounting for 95 per cent. of all. This large proportion of female negro farmers was doubtless made up in the main of women and female children employed in the cotton fields.

NUMBER OF WAGE-EARNERS.

The following table, abstracted from the Census publications, shows the number of negroes in all occupations and in each of the five great groups of occupations by sex and by states and territories:

NEGROES.

─────────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ All Occupations. │ Agriculture, │ │ Fisheries, and │ │ Mining. ─────────────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │ Males. │Females. │ Males. │Females. ─────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── THE UNITED STATES.│2,101,233│ 971,890│1,329,584│ 427,835 ─────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── 1. Alabama │ 192,322│ 101,085│ 146,361│ 66,123 2. Alaska │ │ │ │ 3. Arizona │ 1,091│ 71│ 29│ 4. Arkansas │ 86,861│ 30,115│ 68,219│ 19,069 5. California │ 4,301│ 1,041│ 1,084│ 14 6. Colorado │ 2,765│ 792│ 180│ 4 7. Connecticut │ 4,064│ 1,964│ 879│ 1 8. Delaware │ 9,334│ 3,016│ 4,157│ 34 9. Dist. of Columbia│ 21,238│ 18,770│ 553│ 16 10. Florida │ 46,302│ 19,071│ 23,690│ 7,629 11. Georgia │ 246,913│ 122,352│ 172,496│ 54,073 12. Idaho │ 83│ 23│ 16│ 1 13. Illinois │ 19,270│ 4,713│ 4,323│ 134 14. Indiana │ 14,648│ 4,210│ 3,273│ 37 15. Iowa │ 3,615│ 730│ 973│ 11 16. Kansas │ 13,889│ 3,400│ 4,171│ 110 17. Kentucky │ 76,411│ 31,255│ 38,456│ 1,013 18. Louisiana │ 159,180│ 83,978│ 111,820│ 49,428 19. Maine │ 409│ 145│ 104│ 2 20. Maryland │ 63,166│ 32,642│ 29,516│ 743 21. Massachusetts │ 7,593│ 3,435│ 601│ 4 22. Michigan │ 5,065│ 1,329│ 1,458│ 45 23. Minnesota │ 1,719│ 383│ 72│ 2 24. Mississippi │ 198,531│ 105,306│ 167,995│ 77,925 25. Missouri │ 43,940│ 16,715│ 15,757│ 324 26. Montana │ 971│ 140│ 41│ 27. Nebraska │ 3,741│ 959│ 242│ 3 28. Nevada │ 130│ 22│ 41│ 1 29. New Hampshire │ 242│ 107│ 60│ 30. New Jersey │ 16,143│ 7,738│ 4,166│ 29 31. New Mexico │ 888│ 156│ 163│ 3 32. New York │ 23,272│ 13,664│ 3,031│ 25 33. North Carolina │ 148,370│ 68,220│ 106,493│ 33,796 34. North Dakota │ 146│ 23│ 35│ 35. Ohio │ 28,085│ 7,791│ 6,201│ 108 36. Oklahoma │ 958│ 125│ 635│ 17 37. Oregon │ 536│ 99│ 106│ 2 38. Pennsylvania │ 37,534│ 15,704│ 4,602│ 29 39. Rhode Island │ 2,337│ 1,362│ 270│ 2 40. South Carolina │ 186,714│ 102,836│ 149,915│ 73,588 41. South Dakota │ 284│ 43│ 33│ 1 42. Tennessee │ 121,016│ 44,701│ 72,316│ 12,510 43. Texas │ 123,395│ 46,691│ 85,824│ 20,758 44. Utah │ 298│ 51│ 21│ 45. Vermont │ 322│ 109│ 112│ 1 46. Virginia │ 169,343│ 71,752│ 93,745│ 10,164 47. Washington │ 902│ 153│ 250│ 2 48. West Virginia │ 11,478│ 2,623│ 4,790│ 50 49. Wisconsin │ 855│ 205│ 168│ 4 50. Wyoming │ 563│ 75│ 141│ ─────────────────────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────

─────────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ Professional │ Domestic and │ Service. │ Personal Service. │ │ ─────────────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │ Males. │Females. │ Males. │Females. ─────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── THE UNITED STATES.│ 25,171│ 8,829│ 457,002│ 505,898 ─────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── 1. Alabama │ 1,471│ 491│ 25,426│ 33,380 2. Alaska │ │ │ │ 3. Arizona │ 3│ │ 1,034│ 67 4. Arkansas │ 1,226│ 238│ 11,226│ 10,506 5. California │ 86│ 21│ 2,316│ 897 6. Colorado │ 75│ 13│ 1,702│ 715 7. Connecticut │ 61│ 10│ 1,925│ 1,781 8. Delaware │ 97│ 32│ 3,631│ 2,878 9. Dist. of Columbia│ 390│ 335│ 12,680│ 16,734 10. Florida │ 776│ 223│ 13,229│ 10,421 11. Georgia │ 2,122│ 958│ 39,294│ 65,025 12. Idaho │ │ │ 57│ 21 13. Illinois │ 486│ 116│ 10,865│ 4,061 14. Indiana │ 330│ 126│ 7,950│ 3,849 15. Iowa │ 78│ 11│ 1,966│ 672 16. Kansas │ 357│ 69│ 6,898│ 3,077 17. Kentucky │ 1,406│ 420│ 22,649│ 28,916 18. Louisiana │ 1,251│ 355│ 31,609│ 31,292 19. Maine │ 8│ 2│ 174│ 128 20. Maryland │ 640│ 275│ 21,014│ 30,406 21. Massachusetts │ 162│ 57│ 4,296│ 2,914 22. Michigan │ 115│ 39│ 2,495│ 1,102 23. Minnesota │ 57│ 13│ 1,286│ 315 24. Mississippi │ 1,970│ 775│ 17,209│ 25,729 25. Missouri │ 897│ 337│ 18,899│ 15,614 26. Montana │ 25│ 4│ 815│ 122 27. Nebraska │ 63│ 7│ 2,743│ 881 28. Nevada │ │ │ 67│ 18 29. New Hampshire │ 5│ │ 81│ 84 30. New Jersey │ 287│ 82│ 7,715│ 7,339 31. New Mexico │ 10│ │ 651│ 150 32. New York │ 571│ 135│ 13,151│ 12,445 33. North Carolina │ 1,619│ 565│ 20,580│ 31,393 34. North Dakota │ 7│ │ 90│ 22 35. Ohio │ 617│ 246│ 14,814│ 6,955 36. Oklahoma │ 22│ 3│ 231│ 102 37. Oregon │ 23│ 5│ 328│ 81 38. Pennsylvania │ 584│ 197│ 22,505│ 14,297 39. Rhode Island │ 38│ 18│ 1,161│ 1,169 40. South Carolina │ 1,543│ 506│ 18,554│ 26,213 41. South Dakota │ 1│ 2│ 115│ 35 42. Tennessee │ 1,736│ 592│ 25,606│ 30,333 43. Texas │ 2,031│ 563│ 23,360│ 24,840 44. Utah │ 1│ │ 248│ 48 45. Vermont │ 3│ │ 143│ 102 46. Virginia │ 1,654│ 911│ 39,425│ 55,941 47. Washington │ 16│ 2│ 480│ 134 48. West Virginia │ 166│ 63│ 3,515│ 2,462 49. Wisconsin │ 27│ 11│ 481│ 161 50. Wyoming │ 58│ 1│ 313│ 71 ─────────────────────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────

─────────────────────┬───────────────────┬─────────────────── │ Trade and │ Manufacturing and │ Transportation. │ Mechanical │ │ Industries. ─────────────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬───────── │ Males. │Females. │ Males. │Females. ─────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── THE UNITED STATES.│ 143,350│ 2,399│ 146,126│ 26,929 ─────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────── 1. Alabama │ 9,147│ 140│ 9,917│ 951 2. Alaska │ │ │ │ 3. Arizona │ 13│ │ 12│ 4 4. Arkansas │ 2,787│ 27│ 3,403│ 275 5. California │ 457│ 3│ 358│ 106 6. Colorado │ 406│ 5│ 402│ 55 7. Connecticut │ 634│ 7│ 565│ 165 8. Delaware │ 633│ 21│ 816│ 51 9. Dist. of Columbia│ 4,776│ 195│ 2,839│ 1,490 10. Florida │ 4,106│ 52│ 4,501│ 746 11. Georgia │ 16,397│ 372│ 16,604│ 1,924 12. Idaho │ 8│ │ 2│ 1 13. Illinois │ 1,994│ 41│ 1,602│ 361 14. Indiana │ 1,426│ 23│ 1,669│ 175 15. Iowa │ 289│ 1│ 309│ 35 16. Kansas │ 1,148│ 20│ 1,315│ 124 17. Kentucky │ 7,381│ 66│ 6,519│ 840 18. Louisiana │ 6,045│ 129│ 8,455│ 2,774 19. Maine │ 68│ 2│ 55│ 11 20. Maryland │ 7,538│ 144│ 4,458│ 1,074 21. Massachusetts │ 1,402│ 34│ 1,132│ 426 22. Michigan │ 448│ 6│ 549│ 137 23. Minnesota │ 216│ 5│ 88│ 48 24. Mississippi │ 5,671│ 74│ 5,686│ 803 25. Missouri │ 4,862│ 44│ 3,525│ 396 26. Montana │ 45│ 1│ 45│ 13 27. Nebraska │ 323│ 4│ 370│ 64 28. Nevada │ 17│ 1│ 5│ 2 29. New Hampshire │ 24│ │ 72│ 23 30. New Jersey │ 2,111│ 25│ 1,864│ 263 31. New Mexico │ 40│ │ 24│ 3 32. New York │ 4,231│ 54│ 2,288│ 1,005 33. North Carolina │ 7,564│ 106│ 12,114│ 2,360 34. North Dakota │ 10│ │ 4│ 1 35. Ohio │ 3,027│ 40│ 3,426│ 442 36. Oklahoma │ 28│ 1│ 42│ 2 37. Oregon │ 42│ 1│ 37│ 10 38. Pennsylvania │ 5,213│ 104│ 4,630│ 1,077 39. Rhode Island │ 546│ 3│ 322│ 170 40. South Carolina │ 6,860│ 188│ 9,842│ 2,341 41. South Dakota │ 121│ 1│ 14│ 4 42. Tennessee │ 10,954│ 125│ 10,404│ 1,141 43. Texas │ 6,386│ 69│ 5,794│ 461 44. Utah │ 14│ 1│ 14│ 2 45. Vermont │ 33│ │ 31│ 6 46. Virginia │ 15,655│ 253│ 18,864│ 4,483 47. Washington │ 69│ │ 87│ 15 48. West Virginia │ 2,080│ 7│ 927│ 41 49. Wisconsin │ 74│ 1│ 105│ 28 50. Wyoming │ 31│ 3│ 20│ ─────────────────────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────

PROPORTION OF WAGE-EARNERS TO POPULATION.

The foregoing diagram No. 4 shows by the length of the bars the proportion which the negro wage-earners bore in 1890 to the negro population of each state. This proportion was greatest in the states and the territories of the west. Following these are the northeastern states, while the lower part of the column is made up of the states in the upper Mississippi valley and those of the south.

OCCUPATIONS BY GROUPS OF STATES.

The distribution of wage-earners among the five occupation groups differed widely in different parts of the country. To study it, it will be sufficient to group the states and analyze the statistics of each group.

The groups which will be used here are those which have been in use in the last two censuses—namely, the northeastern and southeastern, north central and south central, and western groups. The states and territories of which each group is composed are shown in map No. 5.