Census is taken for the purpose of determining representation in Congress.
Gathering the Data:
- Workers walked or rode to and through their assigned areas
- It might take a month to complete a census in a specified area
- Return trips were made to homes if no one was available the first time
- After several tries, the neighbors may have been asked the questions
- In many cases, multiple copies of the reports were done by hand and submitted to different places [copies mean the risk of transcription errors]
| Census Dates | ||||
| Year | Date | Year | Date | |
| 1790 | August 2 | 1870 | June 1 | |
| 1800 | August 4 | 1880 | June 1 | |
| 1810 | August 6 | 1890 | June 2 | |
| 1820 | August 7 | 1900 | June 1 | |
| 1830 | June 1 | 1910 | April 15 | |
| 1840 | June 1 | 1920 | January 5 | |
| 1850 | June 1 | 1930 | April 1 | |
| 1860 | June 1 | 1940 | April 1 |
Types of Population Census Reports:
- 1790-1840
- Heads of Household only with gender based age group counts of other household members
- 1850-1930
- All individuals listed with varied amounts of personal data
- 1940-2010
- Informant is indicated; Selected lines subject to additional questions
Head of Household Census Reports:
- Use other sources to confirm correct physical location
- Track the ‘FAN’ club
- Friends
- Associates
- Neighbors
- Create a chart to track ages between census reports
Evaluating the Census Data:
- Look at the neighborhood
- Types of Houses?
- Affluent?
- Ethnicity?
- Occupations?
- Do the ages/names line up with other facts gathered?
- Are the neighbors the same?
- Is there a non-family member in the household?
- Where can I confirm this information?
Census Reports Available At:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- FamilySearch.org
- GenealogyLibrary.com
- HeritageQuest.com (via a library)
- Historical Societies
- Genealogy Libraries
- State Archives
From Census to Story:
- Find the Census Reports
- Make Notes on What the Census Says
- Write the Census Story
- Research the Missing Information
- Confirm the Census Clues
- Cite Your Sources
In Conclusion:
- Census reports tell tales
- Read everything that is written
- Notice what is not included
- Understand the time of the census
- For more detail on codes and terminology, refer to the enumerator’s instructions, available at: www.ipums.org
Confirm the Census Clues In…
- Cemetery Records
- Church Records
- City Directories
- Emigration Records
- Fraternal Organizations
- Historical Photographs
- Immigration Records
- Local Histories
- Map / Atlas
- Military Unit Histories
- Mortgage Records
- Naturalization Records
- Newspaper articles
- Other Federal Schedules
- Passenger Lists
- Pension Records
- Probate Records
- Property Deeds
- School Report
- Service Records
- Slavery Records
- Tax Lists
- Town Histories
- Town Records
- Town Reports
- Unions
- Vital Records
