Blog 154: Genealogical Education (3): Census Data, 1790-1890

By Vernon M. Herron

     Census records are excellent ways for locating your ancestors in time and place. (By the way, do you know the definition for ‘ancestor’? Answer: dead relative.) Such information can be found in federal population and mortality censuses.

     From census data, one can learn about the composition of a family, places of residence, approximate dates of birth, state or country of birth, approximate date of marriage, number of children born to a mother, the year of immigration to this country and much more. Mortality schedule, 1850-1880 give date, place and cause of death.

     Separate enumerations of slaves were taken at the 1850 and 1860 censuses. Unfortunately, these schedules are not particularly helpful in tracing black families since they generally list only the name of slave masters. Slaves were enumerated by age, sex, and color only. Slave schedules are listed in the National Archives catalog Federal Population Censuses, 1790-1890.

     A census of the population of the United States has been taken by the federal government every ten years since 1790. It is constitutionally  mandated. To protect the privacy of persons enumerated in each census , 72 years must elapse before the forms are released for public research.

     When one studies the many released censuses, the distinction of each should be noted.   Here is an overview of the same for the years 1790-1890 as suggested by the National Archives and Records Services.

Census of 1790=1^st Census

     Name of head of family; address; number of free white males of 16 years and up, including heads; free white males under 16; free white females including heads; all other free persons; number of slaves.

     This census is supposed by many to be inaccurate because of the popular notion that these people were counted for the purpose of being taxed and many understated the actual number of persons in their families.

Census of 1800=2rd  Census

     Names of head of family; address; number of free white males and females under 16, 16 and under 26, 26 and under 45 years and upward; all other free persons, except Indians not taxed; number of slaves.

Census of 1810=3^rd Census

     Name of head of family; address; number of free white males and females under 16, 16 and under 26, 26 and 45, and 45 years and upward; all other free persons, except Indians not taxed; number of slaves.

Census of 1820=4^th Census

     Name of head of family; address; number of free white males and females under 10 years of age, 10 and under 16, 16 and under 26, 26 and under 45, and 45 years and upward; number of free white males between 16 and 18 years; foreigners not naturalized; male and female slaves and free colored persons under 14 years, 14 and under 26, and under 45 and upward; all other free persons, except Indians not taxed; number of persons (including slaves) engaged in agriculture, commerce, and manufactures.

Census of 1830=5^th Census

     Name of head of family; address, number of free white males and females in 5 year age groups to 20, 10 year age group 20 to 100, and 100 years old and over; number of slaves and free colored persons in six broad age groups; number of deaf and dumb under 14, 14 to 24, and 25 years and upward; number of blind; foreigners not naturalized.

Census of 1840=6^th Census

     Name of head of family; address, number of free white males and females in 5 year age groups to 20, 10 year age group 20 to 100, and 100 years old and over; number of slaves and free colored persons in six broad age groups; number of deaf and dumb; number of blind; number of insane and idiotic in public or private charge; number of persons in each family employed in each of classes of occupation; number of schools and number of scholars; number of white persons over 20 who could not read and write; number of pensioners for Revolutionary or military service.

Census of 1850=7^th Census

     Name, address; age; color (white, black, or mulatto) for each person; whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane or idiotic; all free persons required to give value of real estate owned, profession, occupation or trade for each male person over 15; place of birth, whether married within the year; whether attended school within the year; whether unable to read and write for persons over 20; whether a pauper or convict.

(Important to note: 1850-1870)

     The value of the population censuses for genealogists increased tremendously in 1850 when, for the first time, the NAME of each person in the household, including blacks, was recorded together with age, sex, color, occupation, and place of birth.

     When Blacks were eventually enrolled by names, they too were so fearful of the system that they sent a warning signal by their spiritual song, “There’s a man goin’ round taking names.”

Census of 1860=8^th Census

     Name, address; age; color (white, black, or mulatto) for each person; whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane or idiotic; all free persons required to give value of real estate and of personal estate owned, profession, occupation or trade for each male person over 15; place of birth, whether married within the year; whether attended school within the year; whether unable to read and write for persons over 20; whether a pauper or convict.

Census of 1870=9^th Census

     Address, name, age, sex, color (including Chinese and Indian); citizenship for males over 21; profession, occupation, or trade; value of real estate; value of personal estate; place of birth; whether father or mother were foreign born; born within the year; attend school within the year; for persons 10 years old and over, whether able to read and write; whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic.

Census of 1880=10^th Census

     Address; name; relationship to head of family, sex, race; age, marital status; born within the year; married within the year; profession, occupation, or trade; number of months unemployed during census year; whether person is sick or temporarily disabled so as to be unable to attend to ordinary business or duties; if so, what is the sickness or disability; whether blind, deaf and dumb, insane, idiotic, maimed, crippled or bedridden; attended school within the year; able to read and write; place of birth of person, father, and mother.

Census of 1890=11^th Census

(More than 99% of the 1890 census was destroyed by fire in 1921)

     Address; number of families in house; number of persons in house, number of persons in family; name, whether a soldier, sailor or marine during Civil War (Union or Confederate) or widow of such person; relationship to head of family; white, black, mulatto, quadroon, Chinese, Japanese, or Indian; sex; age; marital status, whether married during year; mother of how many children, and number now living; place of birth of person, father and mother; if person is foreign born, number of years in the U. S.; whether naturalized; whether papers have been taken out; profession, trade, or occupation; months unemployed during census year; ability to read and write; ability to speak English; if not, language or dialect spoken; whether suffering from acute or chronic disease, with name of disease and length of time afflicted; whether defective in mind, sight, hearing, or speech, or whether crippled, in mind, sight, hearing. Or speech, or crippled, maimed, or  deformed, with name of defect; whether a prisoner, convict, homeless child or pauper; home rented, or owned by head or member of family; if owned by head or member, is it free from mortgage; if head of family is a farmer, is farm rented or owned by him or member of his family; if own, is it free of mortgage; if mortgage, give post office address of owner.  

     Census data is good secondary information. Study it well!