using the federal census

USING THE U.S. FEDERAL CENSUS IN GENEALOGY

Jean L. Cooper

‘‘Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this union, according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct.’’

U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 2Copyright 2015 Jean L. Cooper

IMPORTANT CENSUS DATES

1790

1940

April 2, 2022

Copyright 2015 Jean L. Cooper

GENERAL POPULATION SCHEDULE: 1790



www.binnsgenealogy.com/VirginiaTaxListCensuses/

Number of persons

Range of birth years =1840 – oldest and youngest

age possible

1 male 1816-1830

1 male 1785-1804

4 females 1830-18401 female 1804-1816


Name Birth date in 1850 Census

Possible range of birth dates in 1840

Henderson about 1798 1785-1804

Agnes about 1820 1804-1816

male ? 1816-1830

Jane about 1834 1830-1840

Matilda about 1836 1830-1840

Susan about 1838 1830-1840

Jenetta about 1840 1830-1840


GENERAL POPULATION SCHEDULE - 1860


SLAVE SCHEDULE - 1860


MORTALITY SCHEDULES - 1860


INDIAN SCHEDULES


VETERANS SCHEDULE 1890


MERCHANT SEAMEN - 1930


U.S. SPECIAL CENSUS ON DEAF FAMILY MARRIAGES AND HEARING RELATIVES, 1888-1895


SOME TIPS ABOUT THE CENSUS

1790 Census 1800 & 1810 Censuses 1790-1860 Censuses 1890 Census was damaged in a fire 1940 Census


REMEMBER THAT:

Information on the census is “self-reported” and may be faulty. Confirm with other reliable sources.

Information is more accurate the closer you are to the event.

Information may have gone through several “hands” and minds before it was written down on the official schedules. This means there were many opportunities for errors to creep in.


www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/pol02-ma.pdf


FREE CENSUS FORMShttp://www.ancestry.com/download/charts


ACCESSING THE CENSUS RECORDS

Ancestry.com Familysearch.org Heritage Quest Online

National Archives and Records Administration - www.nara.gov


IMAGE SOURCES

Census images and blank census form images are from Ancestry.com’s and Heritage Quest Online’s Census databases.

The cover of the book “Measuring America” is from the U.S. Census Department’s website: www.census.gov


CONTACT INFORMATION

Jean L. CooperUniversity of Virginia

[email protected]

https://virginia.box.com/UScensus


using the federal census

Education