Native American Population Almost Back to 1492 Levels

An estimated 5 million Native Americans lived in the area that would become the United States when Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492. After reaching a low in the late 19th century, the Native American population has almost fully recovered.

1 minute read

May 20, 2016, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Native Americans

Lakota (Brule, Miniconjou, and Oglala) chiefs and U.S. officials in front of tipis at Pine Ridge Reservation. Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Photo by John C. Grabill. 1891. | Everett Historical / Shutterstock

"After disease and war decimated the Native American population from an estimated pre-Columbian 5 million to a low of a few hundred thousand in the late 1800s, the American Native American population has recently approached the pre-Columbian population," according to a blog post by Samuel W. Bennett.

Click through to the article to see graphs that illustrate the decline and growth of the population of Native Americans living in the United States.

Thursday, May 19, 2016 in Get Data

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