Prices and Wages by Decade: 1840-1849
Links to government documents and primary sources listing retail prices for products and services, as well as wages for common occupations.
Wages in the United States, 1840-1849
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by INDUSTRY and OCCUPATION
for WOMEN
by STATE
in FOREIGN COUNTRIES
ANALYSIS and CALCULATORS
WAGES -- GENERAL SOURCES
- Unskilled occupations - Average daily wages, 1840-1891Shows data without geographic breakouts. Source: Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 13 (1905), pp.361-365.
Wages by industry and occupation, 1840-1849
- Blacksmith wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 275
- Boiler maker wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 283
- Book and newspaper printing
This wage data is by establishment. Compositor wages appear on 329 and 332, as well as:- Apprentice wages on p. 334-335
- Compositor foreman wages on p. 339
- Laborer wages on p. 343
- Press feeder wages on p. 344
- Pressmen wages on p. 348
- Bricklayer wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 154
- Cabinet maker wages by state - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 455.
- Carpenter wages by state - BLS Bulletin no. 499, pp. 159-160.
- Coal miner wages by state - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 330.
- Congressional salaries, 1789-present
Lists salaries along with dates of enactment and statutory authority for each pay increase. - Cooper wages by state - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 460.
- Cotton mill wages by state, 1845
Source: "Wages and prices in 1845," chapter in Does protection protect? (pub. 1871), pp. 299-300.
- Domestic servant (female) wages in New York, 1845 cited in a congressional report.
- Dressers, woolen and worsted goods wages by state - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 405
- Engineer (locomotive) wages by state - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 437.
- Engineer (stationary) wages by state - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 170
- Farm labor wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 225
- Farmers', farm laborers' and husbandmens' wages, 1845
- Wage data for 20 states on pp. 20-21. Further detail for each state for 1840-1865 on pp. 11-20.
- Firemen, stationary - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 175
- Furnace keeper, metal work - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 247
- Glass blower wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 233
- Government - Congressional salaries, 1789-present
Lists salaries along with dates of enactment and statutory authority for each pay increase. - Government - Federal employees - Salaries, 1840s
Shows salaries of the U.S. President all the way down to postmasters in small towns. Source: The Official register of the United States. - Hod carrier wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 178
- Iron miner wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 333
- Iron molder wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 311
- Knitter wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 396
- Laborer wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 253
- Lathe hands wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 297
- Machinists - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 298
- Manufacturing industry wages, 1845
Wages in cotton mills on pp. 299-300; wool, iron and other manufacturing jobs on p. 301. Source: "Wages and prices in 1845," chapter in Does protection protect?, pub. 1871. - Manufacturing wages by establishment, 1840-1891
Shows monhtly wages at particular establishments in NE America to both male and female, but not averages.Source: Aldrich report Part 2, published by Congress in 1893.- Agricultural implement manufacturing (MA), pp. 293-311
- Ale, beer and porter trades (NY), pp. 312-329
- Book and newspaper publishers (CT, NY, MD), pp. 329-392
- Building trades (CT, MD, MA, NJ, NY, PA, RI), pp. 393-481
- Railroad car and ship building (DE), pp. 482-508
- Wagon and carriage manufacture (NY), pp. 509-511
- City public works (MA, NY, PA), pp. 512-549
- Cotton goods manufacturing (MA), pp. 549-627
- Marble cutters - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 187
- Masons - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 189
- Millwrights - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 308
- Military - Navy pay, 1814-1893
Site good job of organizing a complex topic. If you need original government documents showing pay, contact us.
- Navy pay, 1814-1893
This is not a government website but it does a good job of organizing a complex topic. - Painter wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 195
- Patent examiner salary in Washington DC, 1848
- Pattern maker wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 318
- Plasterer wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 202
- Potter wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 235
- Printing and publishing - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Compositors, p. 347
- Press feeders, p. 340
- Pressmen, p. 355
- Railroad worker wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Brakemen, p. 430
- Conductors (freight), p. 435
- Conductors (passenger), p. 432
- Firemen (locomotive), p. 441
- Teamsters, p. 448
- Rollers, bar mills - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 241
- Roofers in New York - wages listed in Aldrich report, part 2, p. 462.
- Roughers, bar mills - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 244
- Sawyers - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 465
- Textile manufacturing wages - BLS Bulletin no. 499
- Doffers, p. 363
- Drawers-in, p. 367
- Speeder tenders, p. 382
- Spinners, p. 386
- Weavers, p. 390
- Watchmen
- in Massachusetts, 1840-1891
- in New York 1844-1891
- Wheelwrights in New York. Source: Aldrich report, part 2, p. 511.
- Winders (silk goods) - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 402
- Woodworkers - BLS Bulletin no. 499, p. 469
Women's wages, 1840-1849
- Women's wages in textile factories, 1833-1850Federal report states that "the average wages of women in textile factories from 1833-1850 appear to have been $2 a week plus board, which varied from $1.25 to $1.50 a week." Source: Report on Condition of Woman and Child Wage-earners, p. 77
- Household servant wages in New York, 1845Female domestic servants in New York were said to have been paid between $4.00-10.00 per month, according to this congressional report on the history of women in the labor force, Source: Report on the Condition of Woman and Child Wage-earners, p. 179.
- Women's wages for domestic service and tailoring, 1840Women could generally earn 50 cents to $1 per week offering domestic help. Source: Early Factory Labor in New England, part of a Massachusetts labor report, p. 387.
- School teacher wages by sex - Vermont, 1846-1850Source: Vermont school report, 1860, p. 102
Wages by state, 1840-1849
WAGES in CALIFORNIA, 1840s
- San Francisco wages in 1849The Gold Rush brought about extreme wage inflation. "Laborers' wages were a dollar an hour; skilled mechanics received from $12 to $20 per day. The carpenters struck work because they were getting only $12 a day, and insisted on being paid $16." Source: Annals of San Francisco, published 1855, p. 253.
- Gold miner wages - California, 1849Memoir indicates that miners could earn $8-16 per day, but that dinner at the principal hotel in San Francisco (Parker House) cost $8-12. Source: Hunting for gold; reminisences of personal experience... by Major William Downie (1893), p. 12.
WAGES in IOWA, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in Iowa, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, p. 67.
WAGES in KENTUCKY, 1840s
- Farm labor wages - Richmond, 1840-1860Page 256 shows the wages of farm hands in various times throughout the year, including during and in between harvests. Theses pages also show the price of various agriculture goods. Source: Kentucky Bureau of Agriculture, Labor, and Statistics
WAGES in MASSACHUSETTS, 1840s
- Wages by occupation - Massachusetts, 1840sSource: Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 16th Annual Report.
- Agricultural laborers 1752-1860
- Blacksmiths 1781-1860
- Bookbinders 1837-1860
- Brewery/distillery employees 1840-1860
- Carpenters 1772-1860
- Carriage makers 1831-1860
- Clockmakers 1815-1860
- Clothing makers 1803-1860
- Cordage makers 1825-1860
- Glass makers 1822-1855
- Gold/silver workers 1839-1857
- Harness makers 1815-1860
- Hat makers 1845-1860
- Laborers 1752-1860
- Machinists, 1837-1860
- Masons, 1774-1860
- Metal workers 1815-1860
- Millwrights 1799-1858
- Painters 1801-1860
- Paper mill operatives 1815-1857
- Printers 1815-1860
- Shoemakers 1754-1858
- Stone quarrymen/cutters 1836-1855
- Tanner/curriers, 1815-1860
- Teamsters 1836-1860
- Watchmen 1836-1860
- Wooden goods makers (coopers) 1809-1860
- Woollen mill operatives 1828-1860
WAGES in MAINE, 1840s
- Wages by occupation - Maine, 1840Page 7 of this report details the per diem wages of various occupations including surveyors, carpenters, and blacksmiths employed for a state project. Source: House Report no. 29, pg. 7
WAGES in MICHIGAN, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in Michigan, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, p. 65.
WAGES in MISSOURI, 1840s
- Bank job salaries in Missouri, 1844-1846Shows monthly pay to bank cashiers, tellers, clerks, bookkeepers, porters, watchmen and bank administrators. Source: Report of the Joint Committee appointed by the Governor to examine into the general state of the Bank of the State of Missouri and its branches, pp. 74-122.
- Farm labor wages in Missouri, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, p. 67.
WAGES in NEW HAMPSHIRE, 1840s
- New Hampshire wages, 1840sThe 1872 Report of Commissioners on Bureau of Labor Statistics to the [New Hampshire] Legislature is an incredibly rich source of prices dating from the 1840s; pages 45-46 focus on 1840-1850.
- Clergy salary in New Hampshire, 1846This publication tells a Congregational reverend's salary for 1846 in Chester and for a minister in Candia from 1833-1841 and 1841-1854. Source: History of old Chester [N.H.] from 1719 to 1869 by Benjamin Chase (1869), p 640.
WAGES in NEW JERSEY, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in New Jersey, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, pp. 60-62.
WAGES in NEW YORK, 1840s
See tabs above for additional states
- Domestic servant (female) wages in New York, 1845 cited in a congressional report.
- Farm labor wages in USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, p. 60.
- Roofers' wages in Aldrich report, part 2.
- Painters wages listed here and here in Source: Aldrich report, part 2.
- Wheelwrights wages in Aldrich report, part 2.
- Blacksmiths' wages in Aldrich report, part 2.
WAGES in OHIO, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in Ohio, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, pp. 63-65
- Farm wages by county - Ohio, 1847Shows farm labor wages in each county among other information. Source: Ohio State Board of Agriculture report, pp. 21-98.
WAGES in OREGON, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in Oregon, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, p. 69.
WAGES in PENNSYLVANIA, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in Pennsylvania, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, p. 62.
- Carpenter wages in Pennsylvania, 1840sSource: Aldrich report, part 2.
WAGES in RHODE ISLAND, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in Rhode Island, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States (pub. 1892), p. 59.
WAGES in VIRGINIA, 1840s
- Canal worker wages - Virginia, 1842Shows salary of agents, toll gatherers, lockkeepers, inspectors and more. Source: Virginia state legislative document #46, pub. 1843, p. 4.
WAGES in VERMONT, 1840s
- Farm labor in Vermont - Daily wages, 1830s-1860sTable 26 shows daily wages for laborers, with board. The complete chart shows wage data for every year from 1780-1937; the explanation begins on page 43. Source: Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station.
- School teacher wages by sex - Vermont, 1846-1850Source: Vermont school report, 1860, p. 102
WAGES in WISCONSIN, 1840s
- Farm labor wages in Wisconsin, 1840sSource: USDA publication Farm Labor in the United States pub. 1892, p. 66.
- Governors, state officials, legislators and judges' pay by state, 1830-1860Find salary information listed under state names in the tables of contents for this source, the American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge.
Foreign wages by country, 1840-1849
WAGES in MULTIPLE COUNTRIES
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Farm wages in multiple European countries, 1848American journalist John Aiken collected farm wage data for Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Belgium and Germany. About Ireland he wrote "Wages in Ireland are exceedingly low in every department of industry. In agriculture, any number of men can be employed at from nine to twelve pence sterling a day, and a woman at half that sum."
WAGES in IRELAND
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Factory and agricultural wages in Ireland, 1847American journalist John Aiken visited England, Ireland and Scotland in the Autumn of 1847 and reported wages being paid to factory workers in Belfast, Manchester, Leeds, Grenock and Glasgow, and compared these wages to those being paid in Massachusetts. Farm labor wages are also mentioned, as well as the cost for room and board and to rent farm land. See further background in the Notes section of the book. This is not a government source.
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Wages by county in Ireland, ca. 1846This book gives anecdotal evidence of wages in each county around 1845-1846. In other chapters, it tells typical amounts required for rent and the cost for articles of clothing. Source: Report on the Irish coercion bill, causes of discontent in Ireland, condition of its people...by T. M. Ray, printed in Dublin in 1846.
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Wages and cost of living in Ireland, 1770s-1890sThere is data on 1840s wages in Ireland in the book Wages in the United Kingdom in the Nineteenth Century published in Cambridge in 1900. This chapter on Ireland discusses not only wages, but discusses the difficulty of finding work, number of hours typically worked, the daily cost of food and ways that the Irish supplemented their income with family "potato patches," etc. This chapter extends from pages 45-53.
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Irish farm laborer wages, 1849-1869Also shows prices of bread, milk, whisky, blankets, coal and more. Source: Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, v.33, pp. 153-157.
WAGES in FRANCE
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Wages in France, 1840sData and discussion are provided in the "Wages" entry in the Encyclopedia Brittanica, 10th edition, vol. 33, p. 724-726 (source)
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Wages by occupation for men and women - Paris, 1848Source: Five hundred employments adapted to women, with the average rate of pay in each, pp. 492-499.
WAGES in RUSSIA
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Cotton mill wages by occupation in Russia, 1841Wages in St. Petersburg. Source: Commercial statistics by John MacGregor, Vol. II, p. 670.
WAGES in the UNITED KINGDOM
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Factory and agricultural wages, 1847Compares factory worker wages in Belfast, Manchester, Leeds, Grenock and Glasgow to wages in Massachusetts. Farm labor wages are also mentioned, as well as the cost for room and board and to rent farm land. See further background in the Notes section of the book.
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Wages in the United Kingdom, 1810-1886Extensive, 437-page government report indicates detailed wages by occupation in many locations throughout the UK. Wages are reported in British currency.
International wages by occupation (A-Z) then country, 1840-1849
Click a letter tab to see average daily wages for males and females by occupation and country. Source: A Compilation of Wages in Commercial Countries from Official Sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).
Click a letter tab to see average daily wages for males and females by occupation and country. Source: A Compilation of Wages in Commercial Countries from Official Sources, Volume I and Volume II. Issued as the 15th Annual Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor (1900).
- Gas fitters (1840-1900)
- Glass blowers, bottles (1841-1898)
- Glass blowers, window glass (1841-1898)
- Glaziers (1839-1899)
- Glove makers (1841-1898)
- Goldsmiths (1846-1897)
- Harness and saddle makers (1840-1899)
- Hat makers (1839-1898)
- Hod carriers (1789-1900)
- Horse shoers (1839-1900)
- Iron molders (1839-1900)
- Jewelers (1846-1899)
Economic analysis and calculators, 1840s
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Nineteenth century wage trends30-page booklet reviews overall wage trends from 1800-1899. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Staff Paper #2.
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Online calculator: Present-day purchasing power of historic monetary amountsThe MeasuringWorth.com website provides online calculators, guides and tutorials to help researchers understand historic monetary purchases and payments in present-day terms, for the United States, Australia, Spain and the United Kingdom.
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Currency converter, 1270–2017This calculator can be used to determine the historical purchasing power of currency in the United Kingdom from 1270 to 2017. Purchasing power is represented in its equivalence in horses, wheat, the yearly wages of a skilled tradesperson, and others.
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"How much is that in real money? A historical price index..."Provides explanations and charts to help users calculate the current value of historic dollar amounts. Source: Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Association, Vol. 101 #2. Source
Food prices by US region, 1840s
- Ohio food prices by city, 1840sPrices in Cincinnati are shown on pages 801-804. Prices in Columbus are on pages 816-818. Prices in Cleveland are on pp. 830-831. All are part of a longer table that shows price data from 1825-1892. Source: Ohio BLS, 17th annual report.
- Ohio prices, 1830-1862Shows price of coffee, sugar, corn and wheat and more for 1830, 1832, 1835, 1838. Source: Ohio Commissioner of Statistics 7th annual report (1863), p. 621.
- Milwaukee price list, 1847Mostly food prices as reported in a newspaper dated Oct 1847.
- Grain prices - Illinois, 1831-1860Shows the price of corn, oats, and wheat in McLean county, Illinois through the 19th century. Source: Illinois State Historical Library
- Farm good prices - Richmond, 1840-1860Pages 255-256 show the prices of various agriculture goods farmed in Richmond, Kentucky including corn, wheat, butter, eggs, and more. Theses pages also show the wages of farm hands. Source: Kentucky Bureau of Agriculture, Labor, and Statistics
- Massachusetts - Prices for foodSource: Mass. Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 16th ann. rept. Click "more..." for direct links.
- Selected food prices in South Carolina, 1846Robert's Prices Current shows what appear to be retail prices for coffee, tea, sugar, molasses, rice, bacon and crackers, as well as some personal and household items.
- New York - Food and provision prices, 1825-1882Shows lowest and highest prices of 25 foodstuffs and provisions in NYC over 56 years between 1825-1882. Source: Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics of Michigan, pp. 248-250
- New York market - Prices of staple items, 1840sThis U.S. Treasury document shows prices for each month as well as yearly averages from 1825-1863 for flour, rice, fruits, fish, pork, beef, butter, cheese, salt, sugar, molasses, whiskey, brandy, wine, gin, rum, coffee, tea, tobacco, candles, hides, furs, leather, nails, whalebone, wool and more. Items are priced are by the barrel or the ton are likely wholesale prices.
- New York (Albany) - Price of wheat and fowls, 1793-1846Table reports annual data for price of wheat and fowls as well as wages paid for one day's service for every year from 1793-1846. Source: Documents of the Senate no. 92, 1846 v.3
- San Francisco food prices during Gold Rush, 1848-1849The 1855 book Annals of San Francisco on p. 213 cites examples of prices for food, tools, medicine, housing and more at the height of the Gold Rush. Page 253 in the chapter titled "1849" provides greater price detail for foods and services. Page 641 discusses typical restaurant prices.
- San Francisco food prices, highest in 1840sHotel/boarding house proprietor cites the highest prices he paid for potatoes, onions, butter and eggs during the Gold Rush era. Source: Reminiscences and incidents of early days of San Francisco by John Henry Brown.
- Oregon prices, 1846Newspaper printed a letter from an Oregon emigrant citing high prices for coffee, sugar, salt, beef and pork as well as shoes, boots, window glass, hand tools and more. See additional corroboration from another emigrant's letter printed in a different newspaper.
More prices in the United States, 1840-1849
HOUSING and LAND, 1840s
- Cost to build homes, 1847Show many house drawings, floor plans, design details, specifications, and cost to build assuming certain wage rates. Provides significant detail on the quantities and costs of building materials such as shingles and window glass. Source: The architect : a series of original designs for domestic and ornamental cottages and villas... Volume I and Volume II, published in 1851 but copyrighted in 1847.
Estimated cost to build this 1847 house - Home plans with cost to build, 1849-1850Source: American architect: comprising original designs of cheap country and village residences, with details, specifications, plans and directions, and an estimate of the cost of each design by John W. Ritch.
BOARDING HOUSE RATES, 1840s
- San Francisco boarding rates in 1849See chapter titled "1849" and the chapter titled "Hotels, Restaurants and Boarding Houses," especially page 641 for typical restaurant prices and page 651 for hotel prices from 1849-1854 in the book Annals of San Francisco, published 1855.
- Boarding house rates in Lawrence, Massachusetts, 1848American journalist John Aiken reported that cost for room and board for employees of the Lawrence Manufacturing Company was deducted from their wages and paid directly to the boarding house keepers. The rate for men was $1.75 per week, and $1.25 per week for women.
HOTEL RATES
- Boston
- 1847 Appleton's guide lists six Boston hotels charging $2.00 per day (pp. 39-40). This included the Adams House, the United States Hotel and the Revere House.
- Buffalo
- 1847 Appleton's guide lists Huff's Hotel, $1.50 per day
- Detroit
- 1847 Appleton's guide lists five hotels charging 75 cents to $1.25 per day (p. 184)
- Chicago
- 1847 Appleton's guide lists six hotels charging $1 to $1.25 per day (p. 184)
- Louisville
- 1848 hotel directory lists Exchange Hotel, $1.50 per day
- Milwaukee
- 1847 Appleton's guide lists three hotels charging $1.25 per day (p. 184)
- New Orleans
- 1848 hotel directory lists Planter's Hotel, $1.50 per day
- New York City
- 1846 Great Metropolis guide lists rates for 18 hotels (pp. 103-105)
- 1847 Appleton's guide lists rates for over 20 hotels (pp. 111-113)
- 1848 hotel directory lists U. S. Hotel and Western Hotel, both at $1.50 per day
- Philadelphia
- 1848 hotel directory lists American Hotel, $1.50 per day
PRICES for HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, 1840s
- Massachusetts - Prices for household itemsSource: Sixteenth annual report of the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, for 1885.
- Tallow, candles, soap, etc.
- Lamp oil
- Cutlery
- Tobacco and snuff
- Paper
- Fuel - Oak wood, pine wood, etc.
- Carpet
- Miscellaneous - Prices for brooms, matches, tubs, tumblers, and more.
- Household item prices, 1840sShows the (wholesale?) price of wool blankets, carpets and fabrics and cotton fabrics. Also shows prices by the dozen for iron tea kettles and saucepans. Source: U.S. Treasury report dated 1849.
- Prices of common items needed by emigrants, 1849Lists prices of guns and pistols, powder, lead, matches, etc. Also shows price of a wagon, harness, wagon cover, etc. and the typical prices for oxen and mules. Source: Emigrant's Guide to California (1849), chapter 1.
- New Hampshire prices, 1840sMost price data for the 1840s are on pp. 45-46. Prices of molasses and tea are on p.28. Source: 1872 Report of the New Hampshire Bureau of Labor Statistics.
CLOTHING prices, 1840s
- San Francisco - Price of boots in 1849The Gold Rush created extreme price inflation in San Francisco. "Coarse boots...could not be purchased for less than $30-40 per pair, while superior ones of the same class were sold for more than $100." Source: Annals of San Francisco published 1855, (page 253).
- Massachusetts - Prices for clothing, 1840sSource: Mass. Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 16th Ann. rpt. (1885). Click for more prices including fabric and sewing supplies.
- Men's tailored clothing pricesAdvertisements show prices for men's coats, vests, pants, etc. in New York City (1843) and Boston (1845).
- Hat prices, 1846Gentlemen's white beaver broad brimmed hats cost $2 to $6, and wool hats were 75 cents according to Robert's Prices Current.
PRICES for TOOLS and BUILDING MATERIALS, 1840s
- Materials and cost of labor to build a log house on a prairie, 1844Emigrant's guide describes all the materials and supplies needed to build a log house in the American Midwest (pp. 26-28z0.. It also gives itemized estimates of the hours and cost of labor needed to construct the dwelling. The writer makes reference to the year 1844 on page 25, so it appears the figures were most likely gathered in the early 1840s.
- Window glass and nail prices, 1846Window panes cost approximately 4-6 cents each according to Robert's Prices Current.
- Tools priced by the dozen, 1840sWholesale price for hammers, shovels, axes, hoes, files, augurs, scythes, vices and other tools. Source: U.S. Treasury report dated 1849, p. 297.
- Massachusetts - Prices for hardware and building materialsSource: Mass. Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 16th annual report (1885).
- Tools and implements: Prices for shoe knives and shovels.
- Tacks, brads and nails
PRICES for SERVICES, 1840s
- Price of a haircut and shave -- New York, 1840s
When coins were based on Pieces of Eight, a haircut may have cost one bit (12½¢)
or two bits (25¢)
Barbershop and salon prices advertised in newspapers:
- Postage rates for letters mailed in the U.S., 1792-1863Source: Historian of the United States Postal Service.
- Postage to Europe and domestic telegraph prices - 1847The appendix of this travel guide lists postage for letters and newspapers bound for Europe aboard ships as well as telegraph prices on the New York and Buffalo, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and New York and Washington Telegraph Lines. Source: Appletons' railroad and steamboat companion by W. Williams (1847)
- Price of a newspaper or newspaper subscriptionUse the Library of Congress' "Chronicling America" website to find newspaper prices. The price is usually in the masthead or on the second page, together with publisher details.
PRICES for TRANSPORTATION, 1840s
- Ocean passage from Europe to America, 1843Passenger fares from France, Germany and the Netherlands ranged from $17 to $25. Source: Commercial statistics of America, pp. 840-841.
- Passenger fare to travel west from NYC by boat, 1840sShows fares for travel by water from New York City to Chicago, and to cities in Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri and Kentucky. Source: Emigrant's Guide published by J. H. Colton in 1848, pp. 133-135.
- Great Lakes - Passenger fares, ca. 1844Shows cabin and steerage fares for travel between the cities of Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, Milwaukee, Chicago and more. Source: Commercial statistics of America, p. 851.
- River steamboat fares in early 1840sAccording to MacGregor (1847), "The charge or fare for passage on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers is about $3 per 100 miles for long distance, and 4¢ to 5¢ per mile for short distances. Deck passengers, $1 per 100 miles." Source: Commercial statistics of America, p. 707.
- Canal boat, steamboat, railroad and stagecoach fares - 1844This travel guide includes fares from Albany to Buffalo by railroad; on canal packet boats (listed on pages 3 and 4 with the Syracuse to Oswego route detailed on p.28); on steamboat lines leaving Buffalo bound for Chicago, Detroit, Toledo, Barcelona (more details on each route given on pages 61 & 62); aboard steam propellers from Buffalo to Chicago; and via stages leaving Rochester. Source: The western traveller (1844).
- Railroad and steamboat fare from New York, 1845This guide to New York's railways, steamboats, canals, and stare routes includes many fare tables. Source: The New-York traveller; containing railroad, steamboat, canal packet, and stage routes 1845.
- Railroad and steamboat fare, 1847This travel guide includes railroad and steamboat fares for many routes, use the table of contents and jump to a destination of interest. The appendix also shows fares for Atlantic passages as well as values of foreign money. Source: Appletons' railroad and steamboat companion by W. Williams (1847).
- Railroad fares - Comparative rates in the U.S., 1847Source: American Railroad Journal, Nov 20, 1847 issue, p. 738.
- Railroad passenger fares, 1848USDA statistical publication shows interstate railroad passenger fares for various destinations leaving from New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore. See title page of this source.
- Railroad passenger fare in Michigan, 1849Chart shows fares from Detroit to other cities in Michigan as of 1849, traveling in first and second class.
- Railroad and stage coach passenger fare in MassachusettsSource compares fares on the Boston-Lowell lines for both stage coach and railroad, for the years 1835, 1844, 1845 and 1848. Source: state legislative testimony.
- Travel to California in 1849The Emigrant's Guide to California gives detailed prices for all manner of conveyances from New York to California, telling the costs or fare for each leg of the journey. Also details the price of supplies and equipment deemed necessary for the trip.
- Traveling to New Mexico, California, and Oregon - 1849This emigrant's guide details travel routes, including prices, from New York to New Mexico, California, and Oregon. It includes routes from New York to St. Louis then discusses route options for continuing west.
- New York - Hackney coaches & fare to Connecticut, 1841This travel guide shows hackney coach rates as well as fare to travel from New York to Hartford and New Haven by steamboat or rail. For hackney fares in 1846, see The Great metropolis: or New-York almanac.
COST of ATTENDING COLLEGE, 1840s
PRICES for BOOKS, 1840s
- Book prices in the United States - 1847Shows prices of books (including school books) published in the U.S. as of the mid-1840s. Source: American Booksellers' Complete reference trade list.
- Book prices, 1847Shows book titles, descriptions and prices. Includes a section showing college and school books. Source: Harper's illustrated catalogue... of general literature, 1847
HEALTH CARE prices, 1840s
- California - Doctor's fees in gold mines region, 1848"An ounce of gold is the fee generally given" [for a doctor consultation] according to the 1849 publication Four months among the gold-finders in California.
- Connecticut - Physician's fees, 1842This fee table, found it the Constitution and by-laws of the the New Haven Medical Association, was adopted in 1842, p. 10.
- Georgia - Medical service rate chart, 1841This is the fee bill established by the physicians of Macon (GA); it lists prices for practices of medicine, midwifery and surgery. Source: Botanico-Medical Recorder Vol. 9 No. 21, July 1841.
- Indiana - Doctor's fees, 1845-1850This list of charges were found in the books of a Sullivan county doctor dating from 1845-1850; it includes medical services and medicines and also details how payments were made in cash, notes, material, and services. Source: Source: A medical history of Sullivan county, Indiana, by James B. Maple, M.D. (1936), p. 24.
- Michigan - Medical fees in Detroit, 1848The fee bill of the Detroit Sydenham Association seen here lists charges for medical services such as verbal and written advice, visits with and without a prescription, vaccination, applying leeches, bleeding, midwifery, amputation, tapping for dropsy, post mortem examinations, and more. Source: The Lancet, 1848 volume 2, p.319.
- Pennsylvania - Medical service charges in Philadelphia, 1848This table of charges established by the College of Physicians of Philadelphia in 1848; it set price ranges for the professional services performed by Fellows of the College. Source: Summary of the transactions of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, p. 235.
- Opium price (wholesale), 1840-1891The price of opium doubled during the 1840s, from $2 per pound to $3.90 per pound in 1849. Source: Congressional report.
- Female pills by mail order, 1840sAdvertised to treat "suppression of menses," Desomeaux's Pills had an off-label use to induce miscarriage. Source: The married woman's private medical companion (1849), pp. 17-18.
PRICES for ANIMALS, 1840s
- Livestock prices - Illinois, 1831-1860Shows the price of horses, cows, sheep, and other livestock in McLean county, Illinois through the 19th century. Source: Illinois State Historical Library
International prices by country, 1840-1849
PRICES in GREAT BRITAIN, 1840s
- Household income and expenditures - Manchester, 1836 and 1841Twelve Manchester families' income and expenditures are listed individually on pages 323-332. Shows how much each family spent per week on rent, various food items, coffee, tea, salt, soap, candles, etc. Source: Journal of the Statistical Society of London.
- Food and fuel prices - England and Wales, 1847Table shows the average contract prices of the provisions and fuel supplied to the workhouses in England and Wales. One column shows "Average weekly cost per head of in-door paupers" for food and clothing. Shows the price paid by workhouses for wheat bread, meats, butter, cheese, potatoes, peas, oatmeal, candles, soap, tea, sugar, milk; and coal for fuel, p. 294.
- Bread prices - England, 1817-1846Shows average prices of bread in England for each year from 1660-1899 on pages 27-35. Source: Three Centuries of Prices of Wheat, Flour and Bread. The introduction to this table explains that these prices are for the type of bread consumed by lower middle classes, not the "fancy bread." Price sources are provided on page 21-22.
- House rent in Great Britain, 1821-1881Amounts shown in British currency. Source: Mulhill's Dictionary of Statistics, p. 236.
- Grain prices (average) - England, 1840-1853Average monthly prices calculated from figures printed in the London Gazette newspaper, for an "imperial quarter" of wheat, barley or oats. Source: Statistical Abstract for the UK, p. 22.
- Gold and silver prices in London, 1840-1847With exchanges on Hamburg and Paris. Source: History of prices by Thomas Tooke (1848)
- Retail prices in Great BritainShows retail prices of bread throughout the UK as well as other foodstuffs in London from the colonial period up to the 1880s. Source: Report on wholesale and retail prices in the United Kingdom.
- Alcohol prices - London, 1841Price list at Gray's Inn Wine Establishment. Source: Gentleman's magazine, Dec 1841.
TAXES
- Duties (taxes) in Great Britain, 1842Property tax was based on the number of windows in houses. Duties also had to be paid by those who owned horses, dogs, carriages, had servants, wore hair powder, or employed waiters or coachmen on pages 93-95 of the 1842 British Almanac, p. 93.
PRICES in IRELAND, 1840s
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- Ireland - Prices by county, ca. 1846In the1846 Dublin publication titled Report on the Irish Coercion Bill, Causes of Discontent in Ireland, Condition of its People..., T. M. Ray reports anecdotal evidence of rents and the price for clothing in Ireland around 1845-1846. It also indicates consumer expenditures, or how much they were spending overall for clothing and other necessities annually -- see example of clothing expenditures in County Wicklow; with more examples scattered through pages 99-106. Although there is a chapter on food, it gives only a little price data, such as the price of salt herrings.
PRICES in FRANCE, 1840s
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- Living expenses in France, 1841. Lists costs of food, provisions, rent, cost to pay a servant or cook, educational expenses and more. Source: Itinerary of France by Reichard, a guidebook for English travelers. Currency equivalents between French and English money appears on pp. 5-6.
PRICES in ITALY, 1840s
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- Italy - Food prices in Milan, 1801-1908Lists prices of wheat, bread, wine, beef, pork, butter and rice. Source: Bulletin of the U.S. Bureau of Labor, Vol. 20 #87, pp. 599-607.
PRICES in SWEDEN, 1840s
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- Grain prices - Sweden, 1836-1900This table shows average prices for wheat, rye, barley, and oats in Sweden for 1836 to 1900. Yearly consumption per inhabitant for wheat and rye can be found in another table on page 156 of this book.
- European and U.S. money equivalents, 1848Shows U.S. dollar equivalent for about forty different foreign coins. Source: Emigrant's Hand Book published by J. H. Colton in 1848, p. 136.
- Currency converter, 1270–2017This calculator can be used to determine the historical purchasing power of currency in the United Kingdom from 1270 to 2017. Purchasing power is represented in its equivalence in horses, wheat, the yearly wages of a skilled tradesperson, and others.
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Marie Concannon, Government Information Librarian
Government Documents Department, Ellis Library
University of Missouri, Columbia
Email: concannonm@missouri.edu
Phone (573) 882-0748
