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1790 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870
ABOUT FEDERAL CENSUS RECORDS
The first federal population census was taken in 1790. It was
mandated by the Constitution for the purpose of apportionment in the
House of Representatives. Since 1790 Federal censuses have been taken
every ten years and, with the exception of 1890 which was destroyed,
these records are available for public use up through 1920. Census
records are considered confidential information and are not opened to
the public for 73 years after they are taken. The original census
schedules were hand written and have been microfilmed by the National
Archives.
Censuses prior to 1850 list heads of household by name and identify
other family members only by sex and age group. During times when many
Americans moved westward and local records were scarce early census
records can verify names of heads of families and locations of
families each decade.
Beginning in 1850 each member of the household is listed by name.
Also recorded are: age, occupation, value of real estate, birth place,
whether married or attended school within the year, and if over 21
whether able to read or write. With each succeeding year additional
information was recorded on the census and by 1920 researchers can
discover the birthplace of not only the individual listed but also the
mother and father. Other information listed includes the year a person
immigrated, whether naturalized, and if the home is owned or
rented.
Population censuses are arranged by state and within each state by
county; within each county by township or enumeration district; and
within each district households are listed as they were taken by the
enumerator as he went door to door.
The
Federal Population Censuses
Catalogs of NARA Microfilm 1790- 1920