Tax and Census Records, New York City, 1789-1790 and 1810
The objective of this data collection was to examine inequalities of wealth and the geographic distribution of wealthy individuals in late 18th- and early 19th-century New York and to investigate wealth in relationship to occupation and location. For this study, the entire set of tax assessment records and United States Census records for New York City were computerized and occupational status was added for all entries. The collection addresses topics such as social class structure, demographic factors, occupational status and geographic distribution, property values and geographic distribution, and the relationship of these factors to the political system. Units of analysis were individual property owners and renters for the tax assessment data and heads of households for the census data. Data collected included the individual’s name, address, occupation, sex, and race, the type, quantity, and value of real and personal property, and the type and occupancy of the structure at the address. Occupational data from city directories were used to supplement the tax and census data.