Data Literacy for Social Studies, Tons of Iron Goods Produced, Union vs. Confederacy, 1860

We created this bar graph using a data table from the 1860 U.S. Census to highlight the difference in tons of iron goods produced by Union and Confederate states just prior to the Civil War. The spreadsheets found here include the original table, a recreated table, and the bar graph. The types of iron goods produced included bar, sheet and railroad iron, which were important for building infrastructure and transportation routes. As is clear from the graph, the Union had a significant advantage over the Confederacy in iron goods production prior to the Civil War, with Pennsylvania leading the way. During the Civil War, Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia, became the main producer of iron goods for the Confederacy and was one of the main reasons the capital of the Confederacy was moved from Montgomery, Alabama, to Richmond.