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Beginning
Genealogy Lesson #9
US Federal Census Records
DearREADERS,
Lesson #6 introduced the idea that there are a
number of government records available to help you with your family history
research. Today let's discuss one of the first choices of genealogists, namely
US Federal Census Records. They are most useful for locating a family every ten
years. Once you put your ancestor in that specific locality, you can look for
church, land and courthouse records for more documentary evidence. From this listing of
each census and the summary of questions asked by enumerators, you
can see that quite a lot of pertinent information can be gleaned from the US
Federal Census Records.
Microfilm
Series |
Indexed |
Images |
| NARA
= National Archives & Records Administration FHL = Family History
Library |
| 1790 |
| residence
state, county, city, head of family, free white male & female
(notations for specific age brackets); all other free persons; slaves. |
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
Ancestry:
$
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
| 1800 |
| residence
state, county, city; head of family; free white male & female
(notations for specific age brackets); all other free persons; slaves. |
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
Ancestry:
$
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
| 1810 |
| residence
state, county, city, head of family; free white male & female
(notations for specific age brackets); all other free persons; slaves. |
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
Ancestry:
$
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
| 1820 |
| residence
state, county; parish, township, town or city; enumeration date; head of
family; free white males & females (notations for specific age
brackets); foreigners not naturalized; number of persons engaged in
agriculture; number of persons engaged in commerce; number of persons
engaged in manufacture; slaves male & female (notations for specific
age brackets); free colored persons males & females (notations for
specific age brackets); other persons except Indians not taxed. |
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
Ancestry:
$
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
|
1830 |
| residence
state, county; city, ward, town, township, parish, precinct hundred or
district; enumeration date; name of head of family; free while male
& female (notations for specific age brackets); slaves (notations
for specific age brackets); free colored persons; white persons who are
deaf & dumb (notations for specific age brackets); white persons who
are blind; white persons who are aliens; slaves & colored persons
who are deaf & dumb; sales and colored persons who are blind. |
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
Ancestry:
$
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
| 1840 |
| residence
state, county; city, ward, town, township, parish, precinct, hundred or
district; enumeration date, name of head of family; free whites male or
female (notations for specific age brackets); free colored persons male
or female (notations for specific age brackets); slaves male or female
(notations for specific age brackets); number of persons employed in
mining, agriculture, commerce, manufacturing, navigation of ocean,
navigation of canals, lakes or rivers, engineers; name & age of
pensioners for Revolutionary or military service; deaf & dumb ,
blind & insane white persons; deaf & dumb , blind &
insane black persons; schools: university, academies & grammar
schools, primary & common schools, number of scholars at public,
number of whites over 20 who cannot read or write. |
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
Ancestry:
$
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
| 1850 |
residence
state, county, city; enumeration date; name of every person in this
abode on June 1, 1850; age; sex; color; profession; value of real estate
owned; place of birth; married within the year; attended school within
the year; persons over 20 years of age who cannot read & write;
whether deaf & dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper or convict. |
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: No
US-Census.org: free, varies |
Ancestry:
$
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
1850
Slave Schedule |
|
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $ |
|
| 1850
Mortality Schedule |
|
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $ |
|
| 1860 |
residence
state, county, city; enumeration date; name of every person in this
abode on June 1, 1860; age; sex; color; profession; value of real
estate; value of personal estate; birth place; married within the year;
attended school within the year; persons over 20 years of age who cannot
read & write; whether deaf & dumb, blind, insane, idiotic,
pauper or convict. |
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
Ancestry:
$
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
| 1860
Slave Schedule |
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $ |
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $ |
|
| 1860
Mortality Schedule |
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $ |
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $ |
|
| 1870 |
residence
state, county, city; enumeration date; name of each person in this abode
on June 1, 1870; age at last birthday; sex; color; profession;
value of real estate; value of personal estate; place of birth; father
foreign born; mother foreign born; if born within the year give month;
if married within the year give month; attended school within the year;
cannot read; cannot write; whether deaf & dumb, blind, idiotic,
pauper or convict; male citizens of US 21 and older; male citizens of US
& older where rights to vote is denied on other grounds than
rebellion or other crime. |
Ancestry:
global search free, but details of hits require $
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
Ancestry:
global search free, but details of hits require $
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
Ancestry:
$
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
| 1870
Mortality Schedule |
|
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $ |
|
| 1880 |
residence
state, county, city/township; enumeration district; enumeration date;
street; house number; name of each person in this abode June 1, 1880;
color; sex; age at last birthday prior to June 1, 1880, if under 1 year
given in fraction; if born within the census year give the month;
relationship to head of household; civil condition; whether married
during census year; profession; number of months unemployed during
census year; if sick or temporarily disabled on enumerator's visit
specify sickness or disability; blind; deaf & dumb; idiotic; maimed
or crippled; attend school; cannot read; cannot write; place of birth
for self and each parent. |
|
NOTE:
free 1880 Census
Index at www.familysearch.org
(considered very reliable, double blind data entry, provides direct link
to census images at Ancestry.com.) |
Ancestry:
free
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
| 1880
Mortality Schedule |
|
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $ |
|
| 1890 |
only
6% remains due to fire damage |
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $ |
Ancestry:
$
|
| 1890
Veterans Schedule |
residence
state, county, city/township; enumeration district; enumeration date;
house number; family number; name of surviving soldiers, sailors,
Marines & widows; rank; company; name of regiment or vessel; day,
month and year of enlistment; day, month & year of discharge;
years, months & days of service; post office address; disability
incurred. |
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $ |
|
| 1900 |
residence
state, county, city/township; enumeration district; enumeration date;
street; house number; each whose place of abode on June 1, 1900 was
here; surname, given name and middle initial; include every person
living on June 1, 1900; omit children born since June 1, 1900;
relationship to head of household; color or race; sex; month of birth;
year of birth; age at last birthday; marital status; number of hears in
present marriage; mother: how many children & number of living
children; place of birth for person & each parent; year of
immigration to the US; number of years in the US; naturalization;
occupation of each person ten years of age and over; months employed;
attended school in months; can read; can write; can speak English; owned
or rented home; free or mortgaged; farm or house; number on farm
schedule. |
|
Ancestry:
every name global search free, but details of hits require $
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
Ancestry:
$
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
| 1910 |
residence
state, county, city/township; enumeration district; enumeration date;
street, house number; each whose place of abode on April 15, 1910;
surname then middle & given name; include living persons on April
15,1910 and omit children born since April 15, 1910; relationship to
head of household; sex; color or race; age at last birthday; marital
status; number of years in present marriage; mother: how many children
born & number now living; place of birth; father & mother's
places of birth; year of immigration to the US; whether naturalized or
alien; whether able to speak English or give language spoken; trade;
industry; employee or self-employed; whether able to read; whether able
to write; attended school since Sept 1, 1919; owned or rented home; free
or mortgaged; farm or house; number on farm schedule; whether survivor
of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy; whether blind in both eyes;
whether deaf and dumb. |
T624,
1784 |
Ancestry:
head of household global search free, but details of hits require $
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
Ancestry:
$
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
1920
See also: National
Archives and Records Administration 1920 . |
|
residence
state; county; city/township; enumeration district; census date; street;
house number; name of each person in abode on 1 Jan 1920; relationship
to head of household; home rented or owned; mortgaged for free; sex;
color or race; age at last birthday; marital status; year of immigration
to US; naturalized or alien; year of naturalization; attended school
since Sept 1, 1919; able to read; able to write; place of birth &
mother tongue for person, father and mother; able to speak English;
trade; industry; employer; number on farm schedule. |
NARA
T625, 2,076 rolls |
Ancestry:
head of household global search free, but details of hits require $
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
Ancestry:
$
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
1930
US Federal Census
See also: Locating
Ancestors in the 1930 Census by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak
U.S.
Census Bureau 1930 & National
Archives and Records Administration 1930
The 1930 census : a reference and research guide by Thomas Jay Kemp
Enumeration district maps for the Fifteenth Census of the United States,
1930, National Archives microfilm publications, M1930
|
| residence
state; county, city/township; enumeration district; census date; street;
house number; name of each person whose place of abode on April 1, 1930
was in this family, surname then given name and middle initial;
include every person living on April 1, 1930, Omit children born since
April 1, 1930; relationship to head of household; home owned or rented;
value of home; if own radio; sex; color or race; age at last birthday;
marital condition; age at first marriage; attended school since Sept 1
1929; whether able to read or write; place of birth for person, father,
mother; mother tongue; year of immigration; naturalized or alien;
whether able to speak English; occupation; industry; class of worker;
currently employed; line number for unemployed; whether a veteran of the
US military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition; what
war or expedition; number on farm schedule. |
NARA:
T624, 1784 rolls.
FHC:
|
Ancestry:
every name index global search free, but details of hits require $
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $ partial in June 2005
US-Census.org: free, varies |
Ancestry:
$
Genealogy.com: $
HeritageQuestOnline: $
US-Census.org: free, varies |
1940
not available until 2012,
due to right of privacy laws. |
HOW TO
ACCESS US FEDERAL CENSUS RECORDS
Old-fashioned method
We used to view microfilms at regional National Archives, state archives,
and local LDS Family History Centers. Your public library may also have census
microfilm available. The disadvantage is that the films are filed by state, then
county, then township, then enumeration district, but of course the names
weren't listed in alphabetical order. You'd have to already know a
lot about an ancestor to find him in a census microfilm. Without some sort of a
printed index, we weren't able to locate an ancestor unless we wound our way
through all 1,500 pages of a typical census film. That's how come genealogists
used to have exceptionally muscular right arms -- those page-by-page
microfilm searches were quite a workout!
Advantages of the Internet You
are doing yourself a disservice if you do not search the online indices and view
scanned images of census records at Ancestry.com, HeritageQuestOnline and
Genealogy.com. Hopefully you local Family History Center has high speed internet
access to AncestryPlus, and your regional library has membership to
HeritageQuestOnline. I simply cannot say enough
about the ability to search at least these 2 collections when doing census
research.
- Fast return on name searches
- All-state or all country searches
- Indices link directly to the census image
Where are the census images online?
- www.Ancestry.com (Membership
required, also available through AncestryPlus at many high-speed capable
Family History Centers.) Try the 30-day free trial at home.
| 1930
U.S. Federal Census (images, every name index) |
| 1920
U.S. Federal Census (images, head of household index) |
| 1910
U.S. Federal Census (images, head of household index) |
| 1900
U.S. Federal Census (images, every name index) - Complete! |
| 1890
U.S. Federal Census Fragment (images, every name index) |
| 1890
Veteran's Schedules (images, every name index) |
| 1880
U.S. Federal Census (images, every name index) |
| 1870
U.S. Federal Census (images, every name index) |
| 1860
U.S. Federal Census (images, every name index) |
| 1860
Slave Schedules (images, every name index) |
| 1850
U.S. Federal Census (images, every name index) |
| 1850
Slave Schedules (images, every name index) |
| 1840
U.S. Federal Census (images, every name index) |
| 1830
U.S. Federal Census (images, every name index) |
| 1820
U.S. Federal Census (images, every name index) |
| 1810
U.S. Federal Census (images, every name index) |
| 1800
U.S. Federal Census (images, every name index) |
| 1790
U.S. Federal Census (images, every name index) |
| U.S.
Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 |
- www.genealogy.com
(Membership required.) "The
U.S. Census Collection offers complete online access to all 15 publicly
obtainable U.S. Censuses — over 140 years of American history from 1790 to
1930, including over 550 million names. View and print the actual census
pages, tracing your family's story from decade to decade. The collection
currently includes completed indexes for 9 decades including 1900 -
available only at Genealogy.com. New indexes will be added each month until
the collection is completed." May 30, 2005.
- www.HeritageQuestOnline.com
(available only to libraries.) Here is the search
screen from HeritageQuestOnline, which I happen to access though my
membership to www.Godfrey.org . "Complete
U.S. Federal Census, 1790-1930. The page images and corresponding indexes
for the entire census, 1790-1930 are included in HeritageQuest Online. These
are completely new indexes created by HeritageQuest. In addition to the
ability to search by name, our census records can be searched by place of
birth, age, ethnicity and other variables making this the most versatile
census searching available online. Researchers can quickly see all
African-Americans or all persons born in Ireland living in a state or
county. ProQuest is in the process of loading Census images and indexes.
Visit the "Read what is new" link on the HeritageQuest Online home
page to keep up to date on Census loading."
- US Census http://www.us-census.org.
You'll find additional internet sites regarding US Federal Census records at:
WHAT TO DO WITH THE CENSUS RECORDS
1. Look for each family member
in the online indices. Use at least 5 alternate spellings for each name if
you are having difficulty finding them. If necessary narrow or broaden your
search to a specific state. Each census image website has it's own search
engine. However, Stephen Morse designed a method for searching
online databases, offering more options http://www.stevemorse.org
with his "One-Step Portal."
2. Use printable census abstract
forms from Ancestry.com. They are simply the best -- quite clear and
readable. Please do yourself a favor and transcribe (letter for letter) each bit
of information on your ancestors as you are viewing on your computer screen.
Perhaps you can do this while you are printing out a hard copy of the page
mentioning your ancestor's family. Find the forms at: http://www.ancestry.com/save/charts/census.htm
.
3. Be sure when using these
extraction forms to indicate the web site and the NARA (National Archives &
Records Administration) film number.
4. Store in archivally safe, top
loading sheet protectors.
5. Enter the information in your
genealogy management software.
6. Analyze the information to
determine other records to search for each ancestor. For example, if a marriage
is referenced, you can obtain a copy of the marriage return. If the ancestor is
mentioned as a Union Civil War veteran, then contact or visit the Archives
in Washington, DC to obtain a copy of his service, pension and/or widow's
benefits file.
So, please accept this week's
assignment to go forward and look for each member of your family on all US
Federal Census records available during his/her lifetime.
Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
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