Details
JEFFERSON, THOMAS, President. Autograph letter signed ("Th: Jefferson") to [Thomas W. Maury] of Virginia, Monticello, 3 February 1816. 2 pages, 4to. central fold discreetly reinforced.
JEFFERSON ON THE CENSUS AND THE PRINCIPLES OF MAP-MAKING
A fine, thoughtful letter from the "Sage of Monticello" in reply to a request of Maury dated 24 January 1816. The delegates to the Virginia legislature had drawn up a memorandum regarding statistical information and a geological map of the counties of Virginia. (See Calendar of the Correspondence of Thomas Jefferson, Pt.II, p.389, for a digest), and Maury had transmitted parts of that text to Jefferson. "...You ask me for observations on the memorandum you transcribe, relating to a map of the states, a minerological survey and statistical tables. The feild [sic] is very broad, and new to me. I have never turned my mind to this combination of objects, nor am I at all prepared to give an opinion on it. On what principles the association of objects may go that far and not further, whether we could find a character who would undertake the mineralogical survey, and who is qualified for it; whether there would be room for its designations on a well filled geographical map, and also for the statistical details, I cannot say. The best minerological charts I have seen have had nothing geographical but the watercourses, ranges of hills, and most remarkable places, and have been colored so as to present to the eye at once the minerological ranges.
"For the articles of the statistical table I think the last Census of Congress [the Census of 1810] presented what was proper, as far as it went, but did not go far enough. It required detailed accounts of our manufactures, and an enumeration of our people, according to ages, sexes & colors, but to this should be added an enumeration according to their occupations. We should know what proportion of our people are employed in agriculture what proportion are carpenters, smiths, showmakers, Taylors [tailors], bricklayers, merchants, seamen &c. No question is more curious than that of the distribution of society into occupations, & none more wanting. I have never heard of such tables being effected but in the instance of Spain, where it was first done under the administration, I believe, of Count d'Oranda, and a second time under the Count de Florida Blanca, and these have been considered as the most curious and valuable tables in the world. The combination of callings with us would occasion some difficulty, many of our tradesmen being, for instance agricolists also, but they might be classed under their principal occupation.
"On the geographical branch I have reflected occasionally. I suppose a person would be employed in every county to put together the private surveys, either taken from the Surveyor's books or borrowed from the proprietors, to connect them by supplementary surveys, and to survey the public roads, noting towns, habitations & remarkable places, by which means a special delineation of watercourses, roads &c will be obtained, but it will be further indispensable to obtain the Latitudes and Longitudes of principal points in every county, in order to correct the errors of the topographical surveys, to bring them together, and to assign to each county its exact space on the map. These observations of Latitude and Longitude might be taken for the whole state by a single person well qualified, in the course of a couple of years. I could offer some ideas on that subject to abridge and facilitate the subject, and as to the instruments to be used; but such details are probably not within the scope of your enquiries. They would be in time if communicated to those who will have the direction of the work. I am sorry I am so little prepared to offer any thing more satisfactory to your enquiries than these extempore hints, but I have no doubt that what is best will occur to those gentlemen of the legislature who have had the subject under their contemplation, and who, impressed with its importance, are exerting themselves to procure its execution....."
The first two censuses of the U.S., accomplished in 1790 and 1800 as a means of apportioning representation in the Federal legislature, only enumerated population data. The 1810 Census was the first to add information regarding manufactures and industry. Jefferson's suggestion in the present letter, that detailed records regarding the occupations and trades of the population be included, was adopted in the 1820 census.
JEFFERSON ON THE CENSUS AND THE PRINCIPLES OF MAP-MAKING
A fine, thoughtful letter from the "Sage of Monticello" in reply to a request of Maury dated 24 January 1816. The delegates to the Virginia legislature had drawn up a memorandum regarding statistical information and a geological map of the counties of Virginia. (See Calendar of the Correspondence of Thomas Jefferson, Pt.II, p.389, for a digest), and Maury had transmitted parts of that text to Jefferson. "...You ask me for observations on the memorandum you transcribe, relating to a map of the states, a minerological survey and statistical tables. The feild [sic] is very broad, and new to me. I have never turned my mind to this combination of objects, nor am I at all prepared to give an opinion on it. On what principles the association of objects may go that far and not further, whether we could find a character who would undertake the mineralogical survey, and who is qualified for it; whether there would be room for its designations on a well filled geographical map, and also for the statistical details, I cannot say. The best minerological charts I have seen have had nothing geographical but the watercourses, ranges of hills, and most remarkable places, and have been colored so as to present to the eye at once the minerological ranges.
"For the articles of the statistical table I think the last Census of Congress [the Census of 1810] presented what was proper, as far as it went, but did not go far enough. It required detailed accounts of our manufactures, and an enumeration of our people, according to ages, sexes & colors, but to this should be added an enumeration according to their occupations. We should know what proportion of our people are employed in agriculture what proportion are carpenters, smiths, showmakers, Taylors [tailors], bricklayers, merchants, seamen &c. No question is more curious than that of the distribution of society into occupations, & none more wanting. I have never heard of such tables being effected but in the instance of Spain, where it was first done under the administration, I believe, of Count d'Oranda, and a second time under the Count de Florida Blanca, and these have been considered as the most curious and valuable tables in the world. The combination of callings with us would occasion some difficulty, many of our tradesmen being, for instance agricolists also, but they might be classed under their principal occupation.
"On the geographical branch I have reflected occasionally. I suppose a person would be employed in every county to put together the private surveys, either taken from the Surveyor's books or borrowed from the proprietors, to connect them by supplementary surveys, and to survey the public roads, noting towns, habitations & remarkable places, by which means a special delineation of watercourses, roads &c will be obtained, but it will be further indispensable to obtain the Latitudes and Longitudes of principal points in every county, in order to correct the errors of the topographical surveys, to bring them together, and to assign to each county its exact space on the map. These observations of Latitude and Longitude might be taken for the whole state by a single person well qualified, in the course of a couple of years. I could offer some ideas on that subject to abridge and facilitate the subject, and as to the instruments to be used; but such details are probably not within the scope of your enquiries. They would be in time if communicated to those who will have the direction of the work. I am sorry I am so little prepared to offer any thing more satisfactory to your enquiries than these extempore hints, but I have no doubt that what is best will occur to those gentlemen of the legislature who have had the subject under their contemplation, and who, impressed with its importance, are exerting themselves to procure its execution....."
The first two censuses of the U.S., accomplished in 1790 and 1800 as a means of apportioning representation in the Federal legislature, only enumerated population data. The 1810 Census was the first to add information regarding manufactures and industry. Jefferson's suggestion in the present letter, that detailed records regarding the occupations and trades of the population be included, was adopted in the 1820 census.