Total Number of Enslaved Peoples Living in the United States
Year | Number of Slaves
1790 | 697,897
1800 | 893,041
1810 | 1,191,364
1820 | 1,539,038
1830 | 2,009,050
1840 | 2,487,455
1850 | 3,204,313
1860 | 3,953,760
Use the chart to answer the question.
Based on the chart, how did westward expansion affect slavery in the United States between 1820 and 1850?
The enslaved population roughly doubled as several new slave states were admitted to the Union.
The enslaved population decreased as the U.S. economy became less dependent on agriculture.
The enslaved population remained roughly the same but its percentage of the total population skyrocketed.
The enslaved population remained roughly the same as the new states admitted to the Union were largely free.
which one is right>
The correct answer is:
The enslaved population roughly doubled as several new slave states were admitted to the Union.
Explanation:
According to the chart, the number of slaves in the United States grew from 1,539,038 in 1820 to 3,204,313 in 1850. This indicates that the enslaved population almost doubled during this 30-year span. Westward expansion brought new territories into the Union, and as these territories were organized into states, some of them allowed slavery, which contributed to the increase in the enslaved population. The economic foundation of these areas was often agricultural, involving crops like cotton and tobacco, which were labor-intensive and relied on slave labor. Thus, the expansion of territory and economy can be directly connected to the increase in the number of enslaved individuals.