Historical migration from Africa to the United States is a delicate and complex issue. Although African-Americans make up more than one eighth of the current US population, the majority of their ancestors would most likely trace back to chattel slavery, which was prevalent throughout the Americas from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. Although the slave trade was abolished in the US in 1808, illegal smuggling continued for years after (particularly from the Caribbean, as it was not abolished throughout the British Empire until 1833), and the practice of slavery continued until 1865. Another noteworthy point to remember is that the term "African-American" is generally applied to those with Sub-Saharan roots, and not to those from the predominantly Arabic, North Africa.
The data shown here applies only to free, documented migrants from the continent of Africa to the United States, between 1820 and 1957. In the nineteenth century, migration from Africa to the US was very low, and it was rare that more than one hundred migrants arrived in the US in any given year. Migration did increase in the first half of the twentieth century, however it was still the lowest out of all continents, including Oceania, which had a much lower overall population than Africa.
Number of documented migrants from Africa to the United States between 1820 and 1957
Year
Number of Migrants
1957
1,600
1956
1,351
1955
1,203
1954
1,248
1953
989
1952
931
1951
845
1950
849
1949
995
1948
1,027
1947
1,284
1946
1,516
1945
406
1944
112
1943
141
1942
473
1941
564
1940
202
1939
218
1938
174
1937
155
1936
105
1935
118
1934
104
1933
71
1932
186
1931
417
1930
572
1929
509
1928
475
1927
520
1926
529
1925
412
1924
900
1923
548
1922
520
1921
1,301
1920
648
1919
189
1918
299
1917
566
1916
894
1915
934
1914
1,539
1913
1,409
1912
1,009
1911
956
1910
1,072
1909
858
1908
1,411
1907
1,486
1906
712
1905
757
1904
686
1903
176
1902
37
1901
173
1900
30
1899
51
1898
48
1897
37
1896
21
1895
36
1894
24
1893
-
1892
-
1891
103
1890
112
1889
187
1888
65
1887
40
1886
122
1885
112
1884
59
1883
67
1882
60
1881
33
1880
18
1879
12
1878
18
1877
16
1876
89
1875
54
1874
58
1873
28
1872
41
1871
24
1870
31
1869
72
1868
3
1867
25
1866
33
1865
49
1864
37
1863
3
1862
12
1861
47
1860
126
1859
11
1858
17
1857
25
1856
6
1855
14
1854
-
1853
8
1852
-
1851
3
1850
-
1849
3
1848
10
1847
-
1846
1
1845
4
1844
14
1843
6
1842
3
1841
14
1840
6
1839
10
1838
10
1837
2
1836
6
1835
14
1834
1
1833
1
1832
2
1831
2
1830
2
1829
1
1828
6
1827
4
1826
-
1825
1
1824
-
1823
-
1822
-
1821
2
1820
1
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US Census Bureau, & US Department of Commerce. (August 29, 2019). Number of documented migrants from Africa to the United States between 1820 and 1957 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 11, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1044526/migration-from-africa-to-us-1820-1957/
US Census Bureau, und US Department of Commerce. "Number of documented migrants from Africa to the United States between 1820 and 1957." Chart. August 29, 2019. Statista. Accessed December 11, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1044526/migration-from-africa-to-us-1820-1957/
US Census Bureau, US Department of Commerce. (2019). Number of documented migrants from Africa to the United States between 1820 and 1957. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 11, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1044526/migration-from-africa-to-us-1820-1957/
US Census Bureau, and US Department of Commerce. "Number of Documented Migrants from Africa to The United States between 1820 and 1957." Statista, Statista Inc., 29 Aug 2019, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1044526/migration-from-africa-to-us-1820-1957/
US Census Bureau & US Department of Commerce, Number of documented migrants from Africa to the United States between 1820 and 1957 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1044526/migration-from-africa-to-us-1820-1957/ (last visited December 11, 2024)
Number of documented migrants from Africa to the United States between 1820 and 1957 [Graph], US Census Bureau, & US Department of Commerce, August 29, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1044526/migration-from-africa-to-us-1820-1957/