Research Guides: HIST 301: Historian's Craft (Benes, Spring 2025): Historical Statistics

Databases

University of Missouri Libraries, Prices and Wages by Decade
This guide points to consumer prices and wages reported in primary sources for each decade back to the 1700s. Whenever possible, we refer to retail price and wage averages as reported in government publications. When those are not available, we use figures listed in other contemporary sources such as commercial catalogs, travel guides and newspapers.

Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
Use Social Explorer to visualize and interact with data, create maps, charts, reports and downloads. Explore hundreds of thousands of built-in data indicators related to demography, economy, health, politics, environment, crime and more. Social Explorer is designed to provide quick and easy access to historical census data and demographic information from 1790 to the present.
Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new window
Quantitative data for all aspects of American history. Electronic version of Historical Statistics of the United States: Millennial Edition (Cambridge UP, 2006). Coverage: 1790-1996.

The value of a dollar : colonial era to the Civil War, 1600-1865
Ch. 1. 1600-1749: The development of the colonies -- ch. 2. 1750-1774: The run up to the War of American Independence -- ch. 3. 1775-1799: The Revolution births a debt-plagued nation -- ch. 4. 1800-1824: Another war, manufacturing, self-sufficiency and prosperity -- ch. 5. 1825-1849: Western expansion, canal transportation and American confidence -- ch. 6. 1850-1865: Railroads, slavery and a nation at war with itself.
The value of a dollar : prices and incomes in the United States, 1860-2014
Inflation Conversion Factors for years 1774 to estimated 2028
This site provides Inflation Conversion Factors for dollars of years 1774 to estimated 2028, based in dollars of recent years.

Included on these pages are Consumer Price Index (CPI) conversion factors to determine the value of dollars of 1774 to estimated 2028 in dollars of estimated 2018 and final 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, CPI (1982-84), and three special CPI measures, CPI-U-X1 (starting 1950), CPI-U-RS (starting 1947), and "chain-weighted" CPI for recent years.
Statistical Abstracts Series 1878 - Present
The U.S. Census Bureau terminated the collection of data for the Statistical Compendia program effective October 1, 2011. The Statistical Compendia program is comprised of the Statistical Abstract of the United States and its supplemental products—the State and Metropolitan Area Data Book and the County and City Data Book. To access the most current data, please refer to the organizations cited in the source notes for each table of the Statistical Abstract.

ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new window
Authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States. Includes monthly updates to tables, deep searching at the line-item level, powerful facets for narrowing search results, image and spreadsheet versions of all current and historical tables, along with links to provider sites. Coverage: 1895-present.

Finding books of historical statistics

Use history AND statistics as a Subject search. Add this to the search phrases you've already successfully used to find other secondary sources.

Examples

"world war" AND 1918 AND statistics

This brings up books like "The war with Germany : a statistical summary" and "The U.S. Army in World War I fact sheet."

WorldCat This link opens in a new window
Materials held by thousands of libraries in the US and abroad. Books, websites, computer programs, films, slides, journals, magazines, papers, manuscripts, maps, musical scores, newspapers, sound recordings, videotapes, etc. Coverage: Before 1000BC-present.

We don't always buy these types of materials, so I strongly suggest looking in worldcat using the same method