Wealth and status in the upper South socioeconomic system of Northeastern Missouri

Abstract

Historical-period settlement of the central Salt River valley of northeastern Missouri began in 1819, and by 1825 the region was regularly receiving immigrant agriculturists, many of whom were from the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. Colonists brought with them basic elements of what has been termed the upper South agricultural-economic pattern—a mix of hog and corn production practiced by small-scale farmers and cattle and tobacco production practiced by large-scale agriculturists. These transplanted elements became the foundation for social and economic development of the Salt River valley for decades. Immigrant families often moved to the region as parts of large kin-based networks that maintained geographic integrity by purchasing clustered tracts of land. Several lines of documentary evidence indicate considerable homogeneity in wealth existed among families within a settlement cluster and significant differences in wealth existed between clusters. Additional evidence of intracluster homogeneity in wealth is provided by ceramic items discarded by households of similar economic rank, though it is unclear how useful ceramics are in differentiating among households of unequal rank. Consumer profiles indicate households of medium wealth purchased a wide assortment of ceramic items, including porcelain and expensive white-bodied wares. They also constructed elaborate residences that apparently served as visible signs of prosperity.