Data Literacy for Social Studies, Bushels of Salt Produced, Union vs. Confederacy, 1860

Before refrigeration, salt was a particularly important commodity in the United States. As noted in the 1860 U.S. Census report, salt was, “...indispensable as a condiment and antiseptic for the seasoning and preservation of food, and as a material in several processes in the arts, and which is probably consumed by our population to a greater relative amount than by any other people” (pg. cxcviii). At that time, the average annual consumption of salt per person in the United States was 50 pounds, a demand that only several states' supplies could meet. However, as this graph shows, prior to the Civil War, most of the salt in the United States was produced in states that would remain in the Union. We created this graph using a data table from the 1860 U.S. Census. The original table, a recreated table, and the graph can be found in these spreadsheets. In the South, Virginia was by far the largest producer of salt and became a crucial supplier to the Confederacy. In October 1864, Union forces led by Brigadier General Stephen G. Burbridge, recognizing the critical role that salt played in the Confederacy's war effort, attempted to destroy saltworks near Saltville, Virginia. Confederate forces succeeded in defending the saltworks, but not before hundreds of soldiers were killed, including as many as 50 soldiers from the 5th United States Colored Cavalry, who were brutally murdered by Confederate forces after they were left wounded on the battlefield following the retreat of fellow Union forces.