I think the cotton weight data is meaningful to a large number of people within and without our community. This dataset is very useful to students, faculty, staff and the public who is willing to know more of the pre-history/early history of Bates college and its source of initial captial–Bates Mill. The context of this data is a complex period of the college’s founding history. Although it’s publicly spoken that Bates was founded by abolitionists, but it’s impossible to ignore the role of slave economy. Benjamin Bates, principal benefactor of the college, generate great amount of profit with cotton provided by southern plantation. And this is the answer: the invoices of cotton are clear evidence of the connection between foundation of Bates College and slavery in South.
The collection of this data is primarily from the Edmund S. Muskie and Special Collections Library, the official repository of the Archives of the College. According to the college website,”There are records and other materials that document the history and development of the College from its inception to the present and that have permanent administrative, legal, fiscal or historical value.” From the college Archive, we look up the college early business ledgers that hold the record of early donations and individual invoices of cotton weight. To see these historical records, I can feel the significance inside of the data but they don’t speak for themselves. Therefore, the important step is what we can do after collecting the data.
