More can be written, but you might like to start with "How many slave owners were there in the US at slavery's peak vs the us population at the time?" . /u/chocolatepot pointed to two answers, one by /u/sowser on the meaning of the phrase "slave ownership" and the monetary value of slaves, and one by /u/Georgy_K_Zhukov on "Why were so many willing to fight for and defend the institution of slavery, even when they owned no slaves?".

This is not to discourage discussion. More questions, data, and debate are welcome.