Information on the occupational distribution of southern blacks is limited. The federal population censuses, generally the primary source of occupational data, did not record the occupations of slaves before the Civil War. The first two postwar censuses collected occupational data for blacks, but did not publish tabulations by race. Not until 1890 were published census figures for occupations of black Americans available.

The occupational distribution of slaves: 1860

Before the Civil War, the Census Office did not collect information on the occupations of slaves. The enumerators merely listed slaves by age, sex, color (black or mulatto), and owner's name. Not even the slave's name or family connections were recorded. The only systematic bodies of data known to us that supply information on slave occupations are the Mortality Censuses of 1850 and 1860. In both years the census enumerators, in addition to their regular duties of enumerating the population and collecting statistics on agriculture and manufacturing, were expected to ascertain from each household the particulars of each death that had occurred within the family during the preceding twelve months. Among the particulars requested was the occupation of the decedent.

Because the statistics collected by this procedure greatly underenumerated the actual number of deaths, they proved nearly worthless as a measure of mortality. “The Tables of the Census which undertake to give the total number of … Deaths,” said the introduction to the 1850 Census volume, “can be said to have but very little value.”