Conrad was the head of his household, so his name appears on the census records more often than anyone else. In addition to his name, information is given about him and his family.
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The 19th century South was a land built on slavery. As such, slaves, and the ownership of slaves, became a mark of status. We know Conrad Shindler owned slaves. The 1850 slave schedule has him owning 6 slaves. Also, his will (dating to 1852) lists 7 slaves. Those 7 slaves in his will are valued at a combined total of $1,925. That is a significant amount of money to have invested in property in 1850. From those figures alone, we can comfortably assume the family was rather wealthy.
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A HUGE clue into how wealthy the Shindler family was is found in the value of their material possessions. Chairs, tables, rugs, plates, cups, etc. are all worth something. In a time when poverty was the norm for a vast majority of the population, how many objects were owned, and the value of those objects, are clear indicators of a family's wealth. The will left behind by Conrad Shindler includes an inventory of goods in the house along with their values.
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