Slavery in the 13 Colonies, c.1770
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This data story examines the demographic and economic realities of slavery in the thirteen colonies at the moment Congress declared independence, and traces its direct connections to the signers of the Declaration itself. Framed around the question of how liberty and bondage coexisted in the same society, the piece opens with core statistics (including the estimated 469,867 enslaved people living in the colonies in 1770 and the proportion of signers with ties to slavery) before allowing readers to explore the data themselves.
Interactive bar charts compare enslaved populations across the thirteen colonies by raw numbers and by percentage of total population, revealing sharp regional differences in how central slavery was to each colony's economy and social structure. A filterable breakdown documents the range of labor enslaved people performed, organized by colony and category of work. The centerpiece is a searchable, annotated roster of all 56 signers of the Declaration, each profile detailing what is known about their relationship to slaveholding, drawn from period records and modern historical scholarship.
A closing methodology section outlines the data sources and research approach behind the piece's figures and claims.
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The only signer of all four founding documents and architect of the Connecticut Compromise that established the bicameral structure of Congress.
Signer of the Declaration of Independence who served as president of the Continental Congress and drafted the first American copyright law in Connecticut.
Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation who commanded Connecticut militia and later served as governor and judge.