British Columbian Population by Principal Racial Ethnic Origins 1871. Source: Jean Barman “The West Beyond the West”, pg. 429. Total population: 36,427 comprised of:
- Indigenous est. 25,661 (70.8%)
- British/Continental European 8,576 (23.7%)
- Asian 1,548 (4.3%)
An informal census by the Victoria Police Department in 1871 counted 128 colored men and 89 colored women. The official Canadian census states 462 Black people in BC in 1871.
