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Historical Inquiry with
The Statistical Atlas of the United States (1870)
Occupations and School Attendance Chart

About the Historical Document
The Statistical Atlas of the United States Based on the Results of the Ninth Census 1870
was published in 1874 and compiled under the authority of Congress by Francis A.
Walker, M.A., the superintendent of the ninth Census and a professor of political economy and history at the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale College (now Yale University).
As stated on its title page, the document includes “contributions from many eminent
men of science and several departments of the government.”
Walker supervised the Census using scientific methods and sought to make the Census
information gathered more accessible to the general public by producing the Statistical
Atlas, which provides explanations and charts and maps of the data collected. He
expanded the amount of information collected in the Census and applied statistical
techniques to more accurately reflect the development of the United States after the
Civil War.
The page of the Statistical Atlas used in this activity includes a chart of gainful occupations and school attendance for the U.S. population and the population of each of the
37 states, the District of Columbia, and the areas known as the North West and South
West Territories at the time of the 1870 Census. The full chart title is “Chart Showing
for the United States and for Each State, with Distinction of Sex, the Ratio Between
the Total Population Over 10 Years of Age and the Number of Persons Reported as
Engaged in Each Principal Class of Gainful Occupations and Also as Attending School.”
The four occupational categories are “Agriculture,” “Manufactures & Mining,” “Trade
& Transportation,” and “Personal & Professional Services.” The single education category is “Attending School.” The chart depicts the states (areas) as equally sized squares,
with the individual categories representing a proportion of the total state (area) population. For example, in 1870, Arkansas had a much smaller population than Alabama;
however, the proportions shown on the chart for each category are somewhat similar
for the two states. Each category is color-coded, with lighter colors depicting males
and darker colors depicting females. A border around each square depicts the population that does not fall into any of the specified categories.

Uses for This Activity
This activity allows students to compare and contrast U.S. occupational categories and
school attendance in 1870 across genders and states. It provides questions for students
to practice historical inquiry and evaluate the chart. The questions are divided into the
following topics: observe, reflect, question, and analyze. This activity may be used to
introduce and engage students in the process of historical inquiry and/or to supplement
study of workforce participation in the United States.

© 2015, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Permission is granted to reprint or photocopy this lesson in its entirety for
educational purposes, provided the user credits the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, www.stlouisfed.org/education.

Historical Inquiry with the SA (1870) Occupations and School Attendance Chart
Standards and Benchmarks

(see page 9)

Grade Level
8-12

Materials
•

Internet access and a whiteboard to display PDF 1 (page Pl.XXXII, “Chart Showing
for the United States and for Each State, with Distinction of Sex, the Ratio Between
the Total Population Over 10 Years of Age and the Number of Persons Reported
as Engaged in Each Principal Class of Gainful Occupations and Also as Attending
School” in the Statistical Atlas of the United States Based on the Results of the
Ninth Census 1870): https://www.stlouisfed.org/~/media/Education/Lessons/pdf/
maps/PDF1_SA1870Gainful-Occupations.pdf. A copy of PDF 1 is provided at the
end of this activity for the teacher’s reference.
NOTE: The PDF version is provided because it has better resolution than the
Statistical Atlas online version. The full Statistical Atlas is available at
https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/?id=64#scribd-open. The chart in PDF 1 is on
page 82 of the online version.

•

Handout 1, one copy for each student

•

Handout 1—Answer Key for the teacher

Procedure
1.

Display PDF 1: SA1870 Gainful Occupations (as noted in the Materials section). Explain
to the students that this is a primary source document. It is a chart from a document
called the Statistical Atlas of the United States Based on the Results of the Ninth Census
1870. In this activity, they will practice historical inquiry by examining the chart and
answering questions about it. Explain the following:
•

The Statistical Atlas was published in 1874 and is considered a watershed
moment for statistics in the United States, bringing us on a par with our European
counterparts.

•

The chart shows the employment (by occupation) and schooling of the U.S. population over 10 years of age for each of the 37 states, the District of Columbia,
the areas known as the North West and South West Territories, and the nation
as a whole at the time of the 1870 Census.

•

The first square on the chart is for the nation. The states follow in alphabetical
order, with the District of Columbia and the two territories at the end.

•

The square size is the same for each state, but the size of each category is proportional to the total number of people in the state over 10 years of age.

Historical Inquiry with the SA (1870) Occupations and School Attendance Chart
•

The different-colored rectangles within the squares refer to the occupational and
schooling categories of the people counted by the Census, with subcategories
for males and females.

•

There is an explanatory note at the top under the title and a legend at the top
right. The four categories of occupations are Agriculture, Manufactures & Mining,
Trade & Transportation, and Personal & Professional Services.

Explain that today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics defines employed people as those
16 years of age and older who have jobs. They may work part- or full-time. (More
details about who is considered in the workforce and how they are counted can be
found at http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm.)

Explain that to have a gainful occupation means to earn a wage (or salary) for the
task performed. Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics collects data on occupations
and has 23 major occupational categories—now called “occupational classifications”—
with multiple subcategories. (Further details about occupational classifications can be
found at http://www.bls.gov/soc/major_groups.htm.) The “Preface and Introduction
to the Statistical Atlas” states that “criminal and shameful occupations” are excluded
from the Census tables.

Continue to display PDF 1. Distribute a copy of Handout 1: Historical Inquiry to each
student. Have the students work in pairs and instruct them to look at the chart (PDF 1)
together to find the answers to the questions on Handout 1. After students complete
the activity, discuss their findings, referring to Handout 1—Answer Key as needed.

Assessment
5.

Instruct the students to write an essay that (i) summarizes their findings and (ii) provides
evidence gathered from this inquiry and classroom learning that supports their findings.

Historical Inquiry with the SA (1870) Occupations and School Attendance Chart
Handout 1: Historical Inquiry
Historical Inquiry with the Statistical Atlas of the United States (1870):
Interpreting the Gainful Occupations/Attending School Chart
Observe
1.

What information does the title provide about this chart?

What does the legend tell you about this chart?

Which current states were not yet states and therefore not on this chart?

What does the note (under the title) indicate about the size of the border on each
square?

What do you first notice about the square depicting the entire United States?

Reflect
6.

Who was counted on this chart?

Why is this chart important?

How might this chart be biased?

What can you learn from examining this chart?

10. What additional information might help you understand this chart?
Question
11. What differences does the chart reveal about the various regions of the country?
12. What does this chart tell you about the United States and the world at this time?
13. Where can you find further information related to this topic?
Analyze
14. How has the United States changed since this chart was made?
15. How does the information on this chart foreshadow the future?
16. What features, if any, of this chart might still be the same today?

Historical Inquiry with the SA (1870) Occupations and School Attendance Chart
Handout 1: Historical Inquiry—Answer Key
Historical Inquiry with the Statistical Atlas of the United States (1870):
Interpreting the Gainful Occupations/Attending School Chart
Observe
1.

What information does the title provide about this chart? (The title indicates that the
chart
•

provides information for the United States and each state,

•

reports information by gender,

•

reports as ratios the number of people gainfully employed and attending school
relative to the total population,

•

includes the total population over 10 years of age, and

•

is based on the results from the ninth Census in 1870.)

What does the legend indicate about this chart? (The legend indicates the five categories included on the chart and the color code for each. The lighter shades represent
males, and the darker shades represent females. The four occupational categories are
Agriculture, Manufactures & Mining, Trade & Transportation, and Personal & Professional
Services. The fifth category is Attending School.)

Which current states were not yet states and therefore not on this chart? (Alaska,
Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma,
South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming)

What does the note (under the title) indicate about the sizes of the borders on the
squares? (The borders are referred to as “shaded intervals between the inner and outer
squares” that represent the proportion of the population “not so accounted for.” So,
the borders indicate the people who were uncategorized and thus not counted as
gainfully employed or attending school.)

What do you first notice about the square depicting the entire United States?
(Answers will vary but may include the following: Many people worked in agriculture.
School attendance was about the same for men and women. Far more men than
women worked in agriculture and manufactures and mining occupations. Very few
women worked in trade and transportation occupations. There is a closer balance
between the number of men and women working in personal and professional occupations, although there were still more men than women.)

Historical Inquiry with the SA (1870) Occupations and School Attendance Chart
Reflect
6.

Who was counted on this chart? (All persons over 10 years of age residing in the
United States, the District of Columbia and the North West and South West Territories)

Why is this chart important? (Answers will vary but may include the following: The
chart gives a visual depiction of the employment breakdown in each state in 1870
that allows for quick and easy comparison. It shows us what people were doing in
different regions of the country.)

How might this chart be biased? (Answers will vary. Bias is not readily discernible on
this chart.)

What can be learned from examining this chart? (Answers will vary but may include
that it shows how the proportions of people in different occupations and attending
school differed between men and women and across states and different areas of
the country.)

10. What additional information might be helpful for understanding this chart? (Answers
will vary but may include the following: It would be helpful to know the populations
of each state and the types of jobs included in each of the categories. Knowing the
percentage of the total population and the population of each state that is between 10
and 18 years of age would help determine whether low school attendance was due
to there being few children in this age group or lack of school attendance.)
Question
11. What differences does the chart reveal about the various regions of the country?
(Answers will vary but may include the following: Southern states [e.g., Alabama,
Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi] had proportionately more workers in agriculture
and fewer people attending school than Northeastern states [e.g., Connecticut, Maine,
New York, and Massachusetts]. The proportions of manufacturing and mining occupations were greatest in the Northeastern states, Nevada, and the North West Territories.)
12. What does this chart tell you about the United States and the world at this time?
(Answers will vary but may include the following: The United States had a mixture of
gainful occupations and education was available in every state and territory. Although
it does not speak to these categories worldwide, it can be used to compare the United
States with other countries.)
13. Where could you find additional information related to this topic? (Answers will vary.
Students could refer to the full Statistical Atlas for additional information or the Census
website at http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html.)

Historical Inquiry with the SA (1870) Occupations and School Attendance Chart
Analyze
14. How has the United States changed since this chart was made? (Answers will vary but
may include the following: The North West and South West Territories are now states.
The number of men and women in agricultural occupations has declined dramatically;
federal and state laws do not allow 10-year-olds to work outside their homes. There
are many more occupational categories. Women’s participation in the workforce has
gone up dramatically.)
15. How does the information on this chart foreshadow the future? (Answers will vary
but may include that states with large amounts of rich farmland are still engaged in
agriculture, and states with rich mining resources still have the most mines.)
16. What features of this chart might still be the same today? (Answers will vary.)

Historical Inquiry with the SA (1870) Occupations and School Attendance Chart
Copy of PDF 1

Historical Inquiry with the SA (1870) Occupations and School Attendance Chart
Standards and Benchmarks
College, Career & Civic Life C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards
Dimension 2, Applying Disciplinary Tools and Concepts
•

Historical Sources and Evidence: By the End of Grade 8
D2.His.11.6-8. Use other historical sources to infer a plausible maker, date, place
of origin, and intended audience for historical sources where this information is
not easily identified.
D2.His.12.6-8. Use questions generated about multiple historical sources to
identify further areas of inquiry and additional sources.
D2.His.13.6-8. Evaluate the relevancy and utility of a historical source based on
information such as maker, date, place of origin, intended audience, and purpose.

•

Causation and Argumentation: By the End of Grade 8
D2.His.14.6-8. Explain multiple causes and effects of events and developments
in the past.
D2.His.15.6-8. Evaluate the relative influence of various causes of events and
developments in the past.
D2.His.16.6-8. Organize applicable evidence into a coherent argument about
the past.

•

Historical Sources and Evidence: By the End of Grade 12
D2.His.11.9-12. Critique the usefulness of historical sources for a specific historical
inquiry based on their maker, date, place of origin, intended audience, and
purpose.
D2.His.12.9-12. Use questions generated about multiple historical sources to
pursue further inquiry and investigate additional sources.

•

Causation and Argumentation: By the End of Grade 12
D2.His.14.9-12: Analyze multiple and complex causes and effects of events in
the past.
D2.His.15.9-12: Distinguish between long-term causes and triggering events in
developing a historical argument.
D2.His.16.9-12: Integrate evidence from multiple relevant historical sources and
interpretations into a reasoned argument about the past.

Full text of Learning Toolkit: Historical Inquiry With the Statistical Atlas of 1870 : Historical Inquiry With the 1870 Occupations and School Attendance Chart : Activity

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