Slave hires, 1775-1865

This dataset was prepared by Robert W. Fogel (the University of Chicago and the University of Rochester) and Stanley L. Engerman (the University of Rochester) and used for the analyses presented in Time on the Cross: The Economics of American Negro Slavery, Volume 1 and Time on the Cross: Evidence and Methods--A Supplement, Volume 2. Data pertaining to the hiring transactions for over 20,000 slaves in eight states of the southern United States from 1775 to 1865 are contained in this dataset. The majority of the data were obtained from a nonrandom sample of probate records for the southern states, on deposit in the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints Genealogical Society Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. Included are variables documenting the date and location of the hire, the period and rate of hire, as well as the hired slaves' ages, sexes, defects, and occupational skills. The Slave Hires dataset is similar in scope to the Slave Sales and Appraisals, 1775-1865, dataset (ICPSR 7421), also prepared by Robert W. Fogel and Stanley L. Engerman.