Lois,

You'd have to check the tax codes for specifics, but I think this is
probably because the census is a head count, whereas the tax lists are a
list of *taxable *property. As I recall, only enslaved people over the age
of 16 were taxable (there might have been a top end age, too, I'm not
sure). Again though, I would double-check that in the statutes.

Vince


*Vincent T. Brooks*
Senior Local Records Archivist
Library of Virginia
800 East Broad St.
Richmond, VA 23219
804-692-3525
Fax 804-692-2277
*The Uncommonwealth* <https://uncommonwealth.virginiamemory.com/>



On Mon, Nov 8, 2021 at 7:30 PM Leveen, Lois <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> Howdy,
> This is a very nitty gritty question for folks who have worked on documents
> regarding enslavement, specifically regarding the number of enslaved people
> held as property by particular enslavers.
>
> I'm discovering some pretty significant discrepancies between the number of
> enslaved people listed in the 1850 and 1860 slave schedules, and the number
> listed in the State Auditor Property Tax records.  With the latter, I am
> able to see reported numbers of enslaved people for a particular enslaver
> year by year, not just decade by decade.  But the numbers are WAYYYY off.
> For example, somebody listed with over 20 enslaved people on the slave
> schedule has only 4 or 5 enslaved in the property tax listing for roughly
> the same time period.  I keep seeing this, over and over.
>
> I suspect someone who has more experience/knowledge working with these
> types of records might be able to explain the discrepancies.  If that's
> you, please school me -- I am all ears (or eyeballs, as I"ll be reading
> your answer).
>
> Thanks so much,
> Lois
>
> Lois Leveen, Ph.D.
> she/her/hers
> Virginia Humanities Fellow
> Library of Virginia
> 800 East Broad Street
> Richmond, VA 23219
>
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