A supplement to the Statistical Abstract of the United States; prepared by the Bureau of the Census with the cooperation of the Social Science Research Council.

Presents in compact form for ready reference, approximately 3,000 statistical time series which cover various periods from 1789 to 1945. These statistics reflect economic, social, and political development of the Nation slnce the Federal government was formally established. It is designed to serve two immediate needs. (1) To provide through brief descriptive text and precise source notes, a guide to the types of historical data available, so as to inform the user where future data can be obtained.

Objectives are similar to those of the annual Statistical Abstract of the United States, except that the annual volume emphasizes current data with limited historical data as background.

The historical statistics selected for presentation consist primarily of data readily available in Federal agencies.