The Differences Slavery Made: A Close Analysis of Two American Communities

Politics, Augusta County, Slaveholding and Precinct Crosstabulation

Of the 807 households in the Augusta GIS, 207 owned slaves--or 25 percent.

No. slaves 1 Slave 2-5 slaves 6-10 slaves 11-20 slaves 21-30 slaves 31+ slaves Total
Staunton, Precinct No. 1 30 2 1 2 5 0 0 40
Staunton, Precinct No. 2 42 0 2 6 3 0 0 53
Waynesborough 30 3 2 2 2 0 0 39
Churchville 43 4 4 1 2 0 0 54
Mt. Sidney 42 0 3 1 1 0 0 47
Middlebrook 19 1 3 1 4 0 0 28
Greenville 13 1 5 1 6 0 0 26
Fishersville 30 2 4 6 1 0 0 43
New Hope 76 7 9 2 3 0 1 98
Mt. Meridian 25 2 7 4 4 0 0 42
Mt. Solon 44 8 3 2 1 0 0 58
Deerfield 25 4 1 2 1 0 0 33
Craigsville 20 3 2 3 0 0 0 28
Stuart's Draft 22 3 1 4 7 1 0 38
Swoopes Depot 30 3 2 4 4 0 0 43
Sherando 19 0 1 0 1 0 0 21
Parnassus 37 0 5 0 2 0 0 44
Spring Hill 28 1 5 1 2 0 0 37
Newport 15 0 2 4 0 0 0 21
Midway 10 0 2 2 0 0 0 14
Total 600 44 64 48 49 1 1 807



The data are based on the GIS of Augusta and Franklin households--maps are derived from a D. H. Davison map of Franklin County, published in 1858, and a Jedediah Hotchkiss map of Augusta County, published in 1870, and based on surveys completed "during the war." The maps have been georeferenced at the Virginia Center for Digital History, using ESRI Arc Info to produce a Geographic Information Systems map and database of households based on U.S. census data from the population, agricultural, and slaveowners' schedules.

Note: Original precinct boundaries are not available. Precinct boundaries were established in the GIS using Theissen polygons around precinct stations as central places.

Edward L. Ayers and William G. Thomas, III
Politics, Augusta County, Slaveholding and Precinct Crosstabulation
2001.

Points of Analysis to this Data:

"In Augusta clusters of contiguous precincts gave their support in the 1860 presidential election in similar patterns."

"Whigs accounted for the most visible party activists in Augusta County, but activists in both parties exerted significant influence."

"Precincts in Augusta that supported Breckinridge at a high level in 1860 represented the extremes of wealth, as the wealthiest and the poorest precincts drew more support for Breckinridge than any other precincts."

"The precincts with high Bell support had average household wealth and farm value well below county averages. For these marginal places a vote for Bell represented a safe course, the least change."


Citation: Key = E141
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