HIST 2630 - Historical Methods - SKIDMORE-HESS: Find Data & Statistics
This guide provides library and web-based information appropriate for students enrolled in Dr. Skidmore-Hess' HIST 2630: Historical Methods course.
When does a secondary source become a primary source?
Historians can use scholarly articles in the sciences and social sciences as primary sources when they analyze these articles to understand the contemporary perspectives, methodologies, and interpretations of researchers during a specific historical period.
By examining these works, historians gain insight into the prevailing scientific and social theories, debates, and knowledge that influenced societal norms of the time.
Federal Government Agencies
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United States Department of Agriculture | National Agricultural Statistics Services The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture. Production and supplies of food and fiber, prices paid and received by farmers, farm labor and wages, farm finances, chemical use, and changes in the demographics of U.S. producers.
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United States Census Bureau The US Census Bureau is a government agency responsible for collecting and analyzing data about the population and economy of the United States.
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United States Census Bureau
American Community Survey (ACS) Ongoing survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau that provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data annually, helping to inform policy and community decisions. -
United States Geological Survey (USGS) Created by an act of Congress in 1879, the USGS provides science for a changing world, which reflects and responds to society’s continuously evolving needs. As the science arm of the Department of the Interior, the USGS brings an array of earth, water, biological, and mapping data and expertise to bear in support of decision-making on environmental, resource, and public safety issues.
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National Centers for Enviromental Information (NCEI) NCEI provides environmental data, products, and services covering the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun to drive resilience, prosperity, and equity for current and future generations.
From other Universities
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Census of Agriculture Historical Archive (Cornell) The Census of Agriculture, taken every five years, is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. The Census looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures, and many other areas. The first agriculture Census was taken in 1840 as part of the Sixth Decennial Census of Population
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National Historical Geographic Information Systems (NHGIS) (Univ. of Minnesota) Provides easy access to summary tables and time series of population, housing, agriculture, and economic data, along with GIS-compatible mapping files, for years from 1790 through the present and for all levels of U.S. census geography, including states, counties, tracts, and block
Ancestry Library Edition
Census records may be searched within Ancestry Library Edition in a number of ways:
- The Home and Search tabs allow you to search across all data collections in Ancestry Library Edition, including the census records.
- Locate and click on "Census & Voter Lists" on the Search tab drop-down menu to use search fields specific to these records and narrow your search to only these types of records.
- From the Search tab search page, locate and click on "Census & Voter Lists" found in the right-side Special Collections list to use search fields specific to these records and narrow your search to only these records
- Using the Card Catalog link (Search drop-down menu or right link on Search page) or button (bottom right of Search page), filter the list of data collection to view only these records.
- 1790 United States Federal Census
- 1800 United States Federal Census
- 1810 United States Federal Census
- 1820 United States Federal Census
- 1830 United States Federal Census
- 1840 United States Federal Census
- 1850 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules
- 1850 United States Federal Census
- 1860 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules
- 1860 United States Federal Census
- 1870 United States Federal Census
- 1880 United States Federal Census
- 1890 United States Federal Census Fragment
- 1890 Veterans Schedules of the U.S. Federal Census
- 1900 United States Federal Census
- 1910 United States Federal Census
- 1920 United States Federal Census
- 1930 United States Federal Census
- 1940 United States Federal Census