Getting visibility of social groups in colonial America is problematic. The
best example of raising a question about colonial demographics that I know
of is found in "Military Records and Historical Archaeology" a chapter by
Lawrence E. Babits in _Documentary Archaeology in the New World Series: New
Directions in Archaeology Edited by Mary C. Beaudry. Babits found that 60%
of all recipients of British receipts for confiscated property in the
Carolinas during the southern campaign of the Revolutionary War appeared in
no other public records. Who, what, and where were they? They had
sufficient property to have been confiscated, but they weren't on tax rolls
nor were they in the militia rolls, or court records.
Was there a class of "cottagers" in the southern colonies? How many degrees
of people were there who did not own real property?
Please, somebody drop whatever you're doing and get to work on this as I,
for one, certainly want to know.
Merry Christmas to all, and thank you for a most informative year.
Tom Magnuson
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Brent Tarter
Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2006 2:09 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: request for source
This raises an interesting question that probably should be revived when
a larger number of Va-Hist subscribers (those who teach and study at
universities) are not off on holiday.
Where do these numbers come from? Who invented them? How? Why? And most
importantly, is there any reason why we should presume they are sound?
Is it safe to assume that they are even useful, and for which portion of
the eighteenth century?
Brent Tarter
The Library of Virginia
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Visit the Library of Virginia's web site at http://www.lva.lib.va.us
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Roger Mellen
Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2006 11:42 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: request for source
I have a question about a source for the makeup of colonial Virginia
during the eighteenth century. I have some notes describing the "Planter
Elite," but no source!
The description of the social categories are:
Among the whites, gentry are 5%.
Small landowners 50%
Tenants 20%
Poor whites 25%
I would like to use some of these approximate figures in my research,
but am wondering if anyone knows of a source for this, or similar,
breakdown?
Thanks,
Roger Mellen
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