Data
Historians often get a sparkle in their eyes when they talk about archival work. I'm no different!
However, scholarly progress is often made possible by the fact that sources have been edited or
digitized. As a historian, one builds on the work of many archivists and colleagues. Sharing insights
and materials are at the heart of the profession.
In this section, I want to share research data
that may be of particular interest to other scholars.
As part of a project on homestead settlers, I transcribed the U.S. General Land Office's Accounting
Division's statistics for land claims filed on the local land district level between the fiscal years
1863 and 1912. So far, published statistics (in the GLO's annual reports) ended earlier - and
compilations were only available on the state level for the first twenty years of the law's operation.
The spreadsheet here is the most extensive available statistic - and it will still be extended
further top cover the later years in the future. Watch this space and my publications for updates!