Annual Income in 1820s America

KatieJ · Feb 17, 2012

I need to know how much money the average person would have made in 1820s America.

The situation is that a wealthy man wants to bribe a resurrectionist (grave-robber) to get information, and I wanted it to be at least a few months income, if not a years worth. I can't even figure out where to go to research that.

But, maybe I'm just lonesome up here in rainy Maine and would like someone to talk to.

And research is more fun than writing today.

Thanks!

Drachen Jager · Feb 17, 2012

More info than you could possibly want. Includes tables for skilled, unskilled, farm workers and a few other categories.

http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/smiley.1920s.final

WriteKnight · Feb 17, 2012

Average annual income for male manufacturing workers in urban New England from 1820-60: $323.25
…in rural New England: about $303.25
…in urban Middle Atlantic states (New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey): $337.10
…in rural Middle Atlantic states: $292.588

Got the above info right HERE:

http://www.shmoop.com/antebellum/statistics.html

So I should think a bribe of a hundred dollars, a third of a year's wages would be a nice round number?

KatieJ · Feb 17, 2012

Thank you both, especially for the links - I was just hitting a wall searching!

WriteKnight said:
So I should think a bribe of a hundred dollars, a third of a year's wages would be a nice round number?

That's what I had written, glad to see I wasn't off by much. Ah, well, does that mean I have to go back to work?? :Shrug:

jclarkdawe · Feb 17, 2012

Instead of a bribe of $100, have the bribe being him spilling out, one at a time, eagles. Ten of them. The eagle was a coin first minted in 1795 and issued through 1933 and were solid gold. Worth ten dollars a eagle, you'd do your bribe by casually taking out the coins, one at a time, as the guy's eyes getting bigger and bigger.

The more commonly referred to double eagle didn't enter circulation until 1850, so it's a bit too late for you.

Imagine someone peeling off $1,000 bills (admittedly no longer in circulation) and you get the effect somewhat. But gold has a special luster all its own.

Take a look at Eagle (United States coin) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

KatieJ · Feb 17, 2012

jclarkdawe said:
Instead of a bribe of $100, have the bribe being him spilling out, one at a time, eagles. Ten of them. The eagle was a coin first minted in 1795 and issued through 1933 and were solid gold. Worth ten dollars a eagle, you'd do your bribe by casually taking out the coins, one at a time, as the guy's eyes getting bigger and bigger.

Thanks for the great tip about the eagles, I had a similar scene half-written with a pile of silver but the lure of gold is visceral!

Annual Income in 1820s America

KatieJ

I think I'm back....

Drachen Jager

Professor of applied misanthropy

WriteKnight

Arranger Of Disorder

KatieJ

I think I'm back....

jclarkdawe

Feeling lucky, Query?

KatieJ

I think I'm back....