Using the 1860 Census to Try to Measure Opportunity

1.   Point your browser to http://valley.vcdh.virginia.edu/govdoc/statistics/colorcond.html to access a table that provides a breakdown of the population of Augusta County, Virginia in 1860 by race, sex and condition of servitude.   Pay particular attention to the portion of the table devoted to free African Americans living in Augusta County.

2.   On a separate sheet of paper, record the following information from this table:

3.   Next, let's try to use the census to compare the amount of wealth accumulated by free African Americans in Augusta County, Virginia first with the amount of wealth accumulated by whites in Augusta County and then with the amount accumulated by free African Americans in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.   The simplest way to do so is to point your browser to the "Search the U.S. Census - Basic Search" page.

4.   To begin compiling the data you will need,

    a)   click the button next to "1860"
    b)   then click the button next to "Augusta"
    c)   then click the button next to "black or mulatto"
    d)   then insert the value "1" in the box following "Personal Estate value in $ >."
    e)   Then scroll up until you find the button that reads "Initiate Search".   Click on this button.
    f)   Then scroll down to the bottom of the resulting page and click on "View search statistics."
    g)   On your separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions by finding the appropriate figures on this page of search statistics:

       1)   What percentage of free African Americans in Augusta County own any personal property?
       2)   What is the average amount in dollars of the personal property owned?
       3)   What percentage of free African Americans in Augusta County own any real estate?
       4)   What is the average amount in dollars of the real estate owned?

5.   To compile comparable data for white people in Augusta County,

    a)   click the button next to "1860"
    b)   then click the button next to "Augusta"
    c)   then click the button next to "white"
    d)   then insert the value "1" in the box following "Personal Estate value in $ >."
    e)   Then scroll up until you find the button that reads "Initiate Search".   Click on this button.
    f)   Then scroll down to the bottom of the resulting page and click on "View search statistics."
    g)   On your separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions by finding the appropriate figures on this page of search statistics:

       1)   What percentage of white people in Augusta County own any personal property?
       2)   What is the average amount in dollars of the personal property owned?
       3)   What percentage of white people in Augusta County own any real estate?
       4)   What is the average amount in dollars of the real estate owned?

6.   Finally, to compile comparable date for free African Americans residing in Franklin County, Pennsylvania,

    a)   click the button next to "1860"
    b)   then click the button next to "Franklin"
    c)   then click the button next to "black or mulatto"
    d)   then insert the value "1" in the box following "Personal Estate value in $ >."
    e)   Then scroll up until you find the button that reads "Initiate Search".   Click on this button.
    f)   Then scroll down to the bottom of the resulting page and click on "View search statistics."
    g)   On your separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions by finding the appropriate figures on this page of search statistics:

       1)   What percentage of free African Americans in Franklin County own any personal property?
       2)   What is the average amount in dollars of the personal property owned?
       3)   What percentage of free African Americans in Franklin County own any real estate?
       4)   What is the average amount in dollars of the real estate owned?

7.   Using the census data you have just compiled, write a short paragraph explaining what you have learned about economic opportunity for free African Americans in Augusta County, Virginia circa 1860.   Be sure to compare opportunity for free African Americans in Augusta County with opportunity for both whites and free African Americans living elsewhere.

8.   Let us move next to a more detailed consideration of economic opportunity in the free African American community in Augusta County, Virginia in 1860.   In particular, let us examine whether there was any significant difference between opportunity for men as opposed to women and those classified as "black" as opposed to those classified as "mulatto."   To do so, you will need to return to the "Search the U.S. Census - Basic Search" page.

9.   First, let's compare men and women.

    a)   click the button next to "1860"
    b)   then click the button next to "Augusta"
    c)   then click the button next to "black or mulatto"
    d)   then click the button next to "male"
    e)   then insert the value "1" in the box following "Personal Estate value in $ >."
    f)   Then scroll up until you find the button that reads "Initiate Search".   Click on this button.
    g)   Then scroll down to the bottom of the resulting page and click on "View search statistics."
    h)   On your separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions by finding the appropriate figures on this page of search statistics:

       1)   How many free African American males in Augusta County owned any personal property?
       2)   What is the average amount in dollars of the personal property they owned?

    i)   Repeat the above steps selecting the button next "female" instead of "male."
    j)   Looking at the data you have just compiled, do you find a clear difference between opportunity for males and females?   If so, how might you account for that difference in opportunity?

10.   Next, let's compare "blacks" and "mulattos."   Follow the same procedure as above, first clicking the button next to "black," then the button next to "mulatto."   Do not click the button next to either "male" or "female" either time.   This time, however, before trying to draw any conclusion regarding the difference between "blacks" and "mulattos" revise the averages for each by eliminating the wealthiest individual in each category from your calculations.

11.   As a means of gaining some perspective on the nature of opportunity for free African Americans in Augusta County, Virginia circa 1860, let us examine the occupational structure of the free African American community.   To do so, you will need to repeat the procedure you followed in steps 9 and 10 above with one exception: instead of clicking on "View search statistics," you need to stay on the first page of search results each time and examine the data regarding occupations.   On your separate sheet of paper, you will need to record the following for each of the four groups (black males, black females, mulatto males, mulatto females):

    a)   all occupations listed more than once;
    b)   next to each occupation, the number of individuals in that category pursuing that occupation;
    c)   the number of individuals in that category listed as having no occupation.

PLEASE NOTE: FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS EXERCISE YOU SHOULD TREAT ALL ENTRIES CONTAINING THE WORD "LABORER" AS THE SAME OCCUPATION, AND ALL ENTRIES CONTAINING THE WORD "WASH" OR THE ABBREVIATION "W & " AS THE SAME OCCUPATION.

12.   Finally, using the data on occupations you have just compiled and what you have learned previously about the occupational structure of the free African American community elsewhere in the United States, write a brief paragraph explaining what the occupational structure of the free African American community reveals about economic opportunity for free African Americans circa 1860.   Be sure to make reference to differences among African Americans as well as differences between African Americans and whites.