Genealogical gems from the U.S. Federal Census

Perhaps no other record source provides as much useful information for family historians as censuses. I will discuss using this type of record in this column and two subsequent ones.

Different levels of government have taken censuses in various forms from colonial times. The best-known censuses are the U.S. Federal censuses. The U.S. Constitution requires an enumeration of population within three years of its enactment and every 10 years thereafter. The first occurred in 1790, and subsequently every 10 years -- most recently in 2020. The stated reason for conducting censuses is to apportion representatives to the U.S. House and apportion direct taxes among the states according to population. Currently, we are seeing re-drawing of U.S. House of Representatives districts based on the 2020 census results.

Population information gathered for the census has other uses adapted over the years, including equitable distribution of public funds, tracking changes in the population, guiding legislation and for planning purposes for private and public agencies. Thus, supplemental information gathered with the census has varied over time as well.

The earliest censuses, 1790-1840, identified only the head of the household by name. The enumerators placed others in the household in age classes, by gender and race. The 1790 census enumerated categories of free white males under 16, age 16 and up, free white females of all ages, other free persons and slaves of all ages. No census exists for Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey and Virginia for 1790. These were lost when the British burned buildings in Washington during the War of 1812.

The censuses for 1800 and 1810 had categories for free white persons younger than age 10, 10 to 15, 16 to 24, 25 to 44 and 45 and older. Also contained were tallies of those Indians paying taxes, slaves and free blacks. The 1820 census included an additional category for white males aged 16 to 18 and enslaved people in four age categories, and added separate schedules for those engaged in agriculture, commerce or manufacturing. The 1810 and 1820 territorial censuses for Missouri exist only as summaries of total numbers of people and of the supplemental schedules.

Age categories in the 1830 and 1840 censuses included under age 5, age 5 to 10, 10 to 15, 15 to 20, 20 to 30, and all subsequent 10-year intervals. Collection of information on hearing, speaking and vision-impaired persons began in 1830. The 1840 census added information on literacy, the name and age of Revolutionary and other military pensioners, and seven occupational categories.

For genealogical purposes, the 1850 census is the first to have detailed information. All free individuals are named, along with their age, gender, race, occupation, place of birth (at least to state level, or country for immigrants), value of real estate, whether couples had married within the year and whether children had attended school within the year. There were separate schedules for enslaved people, identified only by age and gender. Importantly, relationships to the head of the household are NOT given. Many who use the 1850 census fail to realize that, and make unsupported assumptions about relationships. The 1860 census is similar, but added the value of personal property.

The 1870 census is the first to identify the formerly enslaved by name, but still failed to identify relationships of those within a household. This information finally appears in the 1880 census -- every individual's relationship to the head of the household is included in the enumeration.

Sadly, the 1890 census perished in a fire in 1921. What escaped the fire received water damage and was destroyed later. A census of Union veterans did survive, with occasional inclusion of Confederate veterans.

Later milestones included information on birth month and year, number of years married, total and surviving children born to individual women, whether the home was rented or owned, and year of immigration and status of naturalization. Much detail is available on censuses through 1940, but the trend from 1950 on has been to gather much less information. Detail on later censuses is at: census.gov/history/www/genealogy/.

The U. S. Bureau of Census embargoes the information for 72 years for privacy reasons, so the most current one available is the 1940 census. However, this is the year the bureau releases the 1950 census, so look forward to it!