I guess in the case of census information negro was negro and white
was white, depending upon what the census informant told the census taker.  I
can't imagine the reason a free white in Louisiana would attempt to be
counted as a free black, for reasons that should be obvious, but I can see
where a free black would prefer to be counted as a white.  To the extent that
census data is skewed, it seems to me it would be with fewer free blacks than
actually existed.

       I would be curious to know if anyone knows of a reason a free white
would designate himself as a free black in a US census.

JDS

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