Kentucky Free State

[RandyT0001]

Slave societies are very economical and very profitable because the slaves are not paid. This explains the efficiency of Nazi Germany and cotton production in the US in comparison to other countries / regions pre-ACW.

Based upon the size of the military which is typically 1-2% of a population, except for countries like N Korea "under threat of invasion by the US" to justify a higher percentage (and the Jackson Republic under threat of the KFS), the KFS would have a population of about 1-2 million.

More later.

[RandyT0001]

In 2014, Kentucky has about 4,415,000 people.

In 1800, the world population is estimated to be 1 billion people.
In 1930, the world population is estimated to be 2 billion people.
In 1970, the world population is estimated to be 4 billion people.

Between 1800 and 1930, the rate of growth per year is about 0.55% to double the population in 130 years.

A growth rate of 0.5% per year doubles population is about 150 years.

With the advent of proper nutrition, medicine, medical care, etc. the population doubles within 40 years at a growth rate of 1.8% per year between 1930 and 1970.

Using the reasonable rate of 0.55% for the Kentucky Free State to have 8,000,000 people 150 years after the cataclysm, the starting population has to be about 4,000,000 people. Therefore, Kentucky did not suffer any deaths due to the war and asteroid. That does not conform to the entry in B&B.

If we consider that only 5% of the pre-war population survived, a percentage often quoted and assumed, then Kentucky had 220,750 survivors. If the mid-20th C. growth rate of 1.8% were applied for 150 years, the population of the KFS would be about 3,200,000. If the more reasonable growth rate of 0.6% were applied (more reflective of the base tech and slow tech advancement) then the population of the KFS would be about 541,000. The roughly 10,000 man Army of the KFS would be about 1.85% of the population of the KFS. The slaves at 15% number about 81,000 and the families of the Rich 5 make up about 2,705. That is roughly 541 per family. According to B&B, at least 30% of the population is urbanized (IMO high considering US history of the 19th and early 20th C).

In the modern world, North Korea has 4.8% of population in active military service. Israel has 2.1% of its population in active military service. Russia has percentage about 0.8% while the US has a rate of about 0.4%.

For the work on the Jackson Republic background, I assumed that the KFS had a growth rate of 1% per year for 150 years giving them a population of 982,000. This made them more reasonable in terms of urbanization percentage and active service percentage.

For the KFS to have a population higher than one, at best, two million people within the 150 years is going to require a rate of growth that is indicative of a modern society with widespread healthcare and good nutrition. That is not the KFS to me.