In 1860 there were nearly 32 million Americans. Of that number 4.4 million were African Americans. Among the white population 1/6 were foreign born. The highest number of those were from Northwestern Europe where nearly 2 and a half million immigrants had come . Those from Northwest Europe included 1 and a half million Irish and 400,000 individuals from England, with another 100, 000 from Scotland and 100,000 from France. From Central and Eastern Europe there were 1.3 million immigrants nearly all of whom were from Germany. The rest of the immigrant population consisted of 35,000 Chinese, 249,000 Canadians and 27,000 Mexicans, with a smattering of people from the far corners of the globe.

America of 1860 was a nation of youth. Sixteen Million or just over half the population was under 19 years of age. Another Ten million were between 20 and forty. Only 5 million people were older then forty most of them in their forties.