Berry Slave Value Database

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Daina Ramey Berry, University of Texas at Austin

Version:  View help for Version V1

Name File Type Size Last Modified
Berry-Slave-Value-Database-Definitions.pdf application/pdf 58.3 KB 10/30/2017 11:09:AM
BerrySlaveValueDatabaseFinal.csv text/csv 524.9 KB 10/30/2017 10:49:AM

Project Citation: 

Berry, Daina Ramey. Berry Slave Value Database. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2017-10-30. https://doi.org/10.3886/E101113V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary This study uses historical records from 36 archives in the United States to analyze 8,437 enslaved people’s sale and/or appraisal prices from 1797 to 1865. Demographic information, including name, year, age/age group, gender, state, and trade/skill notations were recorded when applicable. By calculating average appraisal and sale values across cross-sections of gender (male or female) and age group (0-10 years old, 11-22 years old, 23-39 years old, and 40+ years old), a total of sixteen major comparative prices were analyzed (app/male/0-10; app/female/0-10; sale/male/0-10; sale/female/0-10; app/male/11-22; app/female/11-22; sale/male/11-22; sale/female/11-22; app/male/23-39; app/female/23-39; sale/male/23-39; sale/female/23-39; app/male/40+; app/female/40+; sale/male/40+; sale/female/40+).  Scholars have the opportunity to use this data set to understand how enslaved people were valued and appraised. The demographic data included will be useful to those who want to explore various aspects of the history of slavery and enslaved people.
Funding Sources:  View help for Funding Sources National Endowment for the Humanities; Ford Foundation; American Council of Learned Societies; University of Texas-Austin. College of Liberal Arts; Michigan State University

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms African American History; Children History; Economic History; Gender and History; Historical Research; Slavery American History; Slavery United States; United States Southern
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage The data represents the following geographic areas, as identified during the period between 1797 and 1865: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
Time Period(s):  View help for Time Period(s) 1797 – 1865
Collection Date(s):  View help for Collection Date(s) 2001 – 2014
Universe:  View help for Universe
 The universe of this study includes enslaved individuals in the United States (specifically in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia) during the late eighteenth and early to mid-nineteenth century.

Data Type(s):  View help for Data Type(s) administrative records data; census/enumeration data; event/transaction data; medical records; observational data
Collection Notes:  View help for Collection Notes All the data comes from manuscript archival collections at various historical repositories.

Methodology

Unit(s) of Observation:  View help for Unit(s) of Observation Individuals
Geographic Unit:  View help for Geographic Unit Plantation

Related Publications

Download this project

Published Versions

V1 [2017-10-30]

Export Metadata

Dublin Core

DDI 2.5

Report a Problem

Found a serious problem with the data, such as disclosure risk or copyrighted content? Let us know.

This material is distributed exactly as it arrived from the data depositor. ICPSR has not checked or processed this material. Users should consult the investigator(s) if further information is desired.