Based on 1860 Census results, 49 percent of Mississippi households owned slaves at the start of the Civil War, and more than half the population of our state—55 percent—were slaves. Slavery was massive here and directed affected nearly half the white families in Mississippi, including some who weren’t as wealthy as the planters who owned many slaves

Source: “In 1860, 49% of White Families in Mississippi Owned Slaves, Who Outnumbered White Folks Here” by Jackblog | Jackson Free Press | Jackson, MS