About U.S. Census Population Schedules

What is the name, age, sex, color, occupation, and birthplace of each person residing in this house? Which of these individuals attended school or was married within the year? Who among them is deaf and dumb, blind, insane, “idiotic,” a pauper, or a convict? Is there anyone in the household over twenty years of age who cannot read and write? What is the name of the slave owner? How many slaves belong to the owner? What is the tribe of this Indian? What were the places of birth of the person’s parents? In what year did this person immigrate to the United States and, if naturalized, what was the year of naturalization?

For answers to these and other questions, researchers look to census records. While not all of these inquiries were made in every census year, each of the decennial (occurring every ten years) enumerations of the inhabitants of the United States has its own potential for solving mysteries of the past. Few, if any, records shed as much light on individuals, families, or communities as do population census schedules. From the first federal census of 1790 to the 1920 census (the most recent census available to the public), the records present a vast resource that is rich in personal information and very accessible.

By constitutional requirement, the federal government of the United States conducts an enumeration of the nation every ten years. Since the first census in 1790, the returns from these censuses have become an invaluable source of information for genealogists and others. This collection of census records contains a vast amount of information on millions of Americans.

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do the U.S. censuses. The population schedules are successive “snapshots” of Americans that depict where and how they were living at particular periods in the past. Census records since 1850 suggest dates and places of birth, relationships, family origins, changes in residence, schooling, occupations, economic and citizenship status, and more.

Once home sources have been exhausted, the census is often the best starting point for genealogical research. The availability of statewide indexes for almost every census year makes them logical tools to locate individuals whose precise residence is unknown. While some inaccuracies are to be expected in census records, they still provide some of the most fascinating and useful pieces of personal history to be found in any source. If nothing else, census records are important sources for placing individuals in specific places at specific times. Additionally, information found in the census will often point to other sources critical to complete research, such as court, land, military, immigration, naturalization, and vital records.

Although the questions asked and information provided has changed since that first census, there is some basic information provided in all indexes. The name of the head of the household is provided from the first census. In 1800, age categorization and residence was added to the other questions regarding slaves, and number of males and females. In 1820, categorization of occupation was added. In 1830, categorization of deaf, dumb, and blind persons was added. In 1850, the name, age, sex, color, place of birth, and literacy was added to the questionnaire. In 1860, the value of real estate was an added feature of the enumeration. And in 1880 the census added questions relative to marital status, and parents' place of birth.

The above material was taken in part from Chapter 5: Research in Census Records, The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy by Loretto Dennis Szucs; edited by Loretto Dennis Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking (Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry Incorporated, 1997).

Research Tips/Questions for Specific Census Years