IPUMS Full count Datasets of the United States Censuses of Mortality, 1850-1880

This article describes four new IPUMS datasets constructed from the 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 Censuses of Mortality of the United States. We discuss the creation of the datasets, the variables included in each census year, and their potential for social science research. We highlight several limitations in the data and caution users about potential biases. Finally, we illustrate the usefulness of the new data by analyzing the relationship between household wealth and child mortality in 1870. All four datasets and associated documentation are distributed for public use via the IPUMS website.