Editing Lawrence County (section)

==== V. Demography to 1850: growth, composition, and limitations of the record ====
Between 1820 and 1850 Lawrence County’s total population rose from roughly 4,900 to approximately 6,478—an increase driven by migration and natural growth. The character of population growth changed between the 1830s and 1860s as cotton expansion raised the number of enslaved persons relative to the free population, culminating in the much larger slave totals recorded in the 1860 returns. The 1850 federal census volume provides county breakdowns and the separate slave schedules (enumerated by owner) for that year; researchers who need precise counts by race, age cohorts, and household should consult the hard copy or scanned pages of the 1850 Mississippi census (Table I and the separate slave schedules) and the microfilm collections for 1820–1840. These primary returns are indexed in modern family history repositories and online collections (National Archives, FamilySearch, and county indexes) that facilitate detailed breakdowns.