By Kenneth M. Brown (College of San Mateo)
Information
We present and discuss analyses for teaching for data derived from transcription of the 1851 Agricultural Census of Canada for Glengarry County in Ontario (known for its Highland Scots settlement) and parts of Vaudreuil County in Quebec (~ 100 kilometers west of Montreal) The data (≈ 3500 rural households) include the following variables: total land area of farms, land area in cultivation, in crops in 1851, in pasture, in orchards, still woodland or wild; land area and output for various crops, numbers of livestock, and farm production. We explore examples of possible analyses and questions appropriate for the first or second courses, including modeling, and invite participants to suggest extensions. We also discuss issues of original data production for historical data as well as quality assurance of transcription. Participants will be able to gain access to the data in CSV form. The presentation aims to stimulate discussion about using data which, though fairly simple for undergraduate students to understand, may be distant from their present day experience and interests. We also hope to encourage and stimulate the collection of linked data, such as from the 1851 nominal census or subsequent censuses, providing scope for hierarchical or longitudinal analyses.