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FINDING YOUR ANCESTORS IN THE FEDERAL CENSUS Cass County Public Library – Genealogy Branch

How to Use Census Records It helps locate your ancestors in a specific place at a specific time You can track the movement of families through multiple generations Use clues in the Census to learn more about your ancestors, including:

o Age and birthplace o Occupation o Immigration and naturalization info o Military service

Basic Tips for Census Research

Be flexible when searching o SPELLING: Enumerators recorded what they were told, spelling names as best they could o DATA: Don’t disregard records just because they contain discrepancies in ages, birth locations, etc. o NAMES: Given names may be recorded as initials, and first and middle names or nicknames may have

been used interchangeably from year to year Take time to view the original document whenever possible

o Originals often contain information not included in the transcription Review other names of the same page

o Friends, Associates, and Neighbors (FAN) were often siblings, in-laws, cousins, aunts/uncles, future spouses, etc.

Expect some legibility and visual issues such as dark/light images or poor handwriting

General Information about the Census A decennial (every ten years) federal census is required by the U.S. Constitution The “72-Year Rule”

o 1790–1940 Federal Censuses are accessible now o 1950 will be available in 2022

From 1790 to 1870, U.S. Marshal’s collected the census information o They received little training and limited instruction o Printed schedule forms for responses did not exist until 1830

In 1880, the Census Office was established which hired and trained official census enumerators

What is the Census for? Some common questions researchers ask:

o Why are they asking this question? o Who cares if they have a radio set in 1930? o Why are the color/race column categories like that? o Why are they asking questions specifically about unemployment/blindness/idiocy?

Governmental Purposes of the Census o Distributing funds to state and local governments equitably based on population and need o Determining how many representatives a state gets based on population o Drawing the boundaries for congressional and state legislative voting districts – “redistricting” (which

can lead to gerrymandering) o Determining need for new legislation based on specific information gleaned from statistical analysis of

the answers

G ET T IN G ST AR T ED

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Sources Online At the CCPL/Genealogy Branch

o Ancestry Library Edition (in-library use only) o HeritageQuest (in-library and at-home use)

Other Sources o FamilySearch (free) o Ancestry Subscription ($) o MyHeritage ($) o FindMyPast ($)

Helpful Resources

Blank Census Forms o Some genealogists prefer to record census record information on blank copies of the form o Benefits:

More legible than the original form Only contains your ancestor’s information (once you’ve filled it out) It organizes the transcribed information the same way the census does

Census Questions Lists o Having a list of the questions asked by that year of the census can help when the original form is

illegible o Census Bureau website has the questions for each census as well as contextual background

information

U.S. Census Bureau Resources Online www.census.gov/history

Census History Census Questions Enumerator Instructions Blank Questionnaires Historical Photographs Special Schedules

O N L IN E R ES OU R C ES

The History page of the United States

Census Bureau Website provides

access to helpful resources for

researchers such as:

Contextual background history

for each year that might explain

why certain questions were

asked

Indexes of the questions asked on

each year and the possible

responses for questions with set

categories

Enumerator’s Instructions (which

include the rules for filling out the

race, nativity, and occupation

columns – and more!)

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Example: 1910 Census Enumerator’s Instructions, Nativity Section

The Overview page of the Census

website provides, for each year,

detailed information about new

technology used in the information

gathering and tabulating process,

how the Census was enumerated

that year, what special schedules

were taken that year, and changes

to response categories (e.g. which

categories were valid responses for the Race/Color column that year).

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Dollarhide’s Census Maps, 1790-1920 Detailed maps of each state enumerated on the census for each year Available in book form at the Genealogy Branch and on HeritageQuest For a given year of the census, it provides:

o County/territory/state borders and names o Census availability and lost records o Additional notes for historical context o Shows location of “Indian Lands” o White boundaries are modern boundaries; black boundaries are the boundaries as they were that year

Can be used to: Track how county’ borders and names changed over time by comparing multiple years Determine where Native American tribal land was Learn which counties’ records exist and which are lost Know which states were enumerated as territories before granted statehood

o Or which states were enumerated as a part of other states, e.g. West Virginia until 1870

Example: 1860 Census Map of Oklahoma compared to 1900 Census Map of Oklahoma

[Left]: Most of these maps have a Notes section

that provides important details regarding the

borders and status of the state at the time, as

well as information about the government,

population, and enumeration.

[Above]: Check the Census Availability section of each

map to see which counties were enumerated that year

and which records still exist.

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1790 Federal Census Enumeration date: 2 August 1790 Listed head of household by name with tally marks for all others by general demographic:

o free White males (2 groups – under 16 and over 16) o free White females (all ages) o other free persons (all genders and races) o slaves

Almost one-third of the original data has been lost or destroyed o Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia no longer available

1800 Federal Census Enumeration date: 4 August 1800 Listed head of household with more age categories for free Whites living there by gender:

o Under 10 years; 10–16; 16–26; 26–45; over 45 Other free persons (“except Indians”) and slaves were tallied without age categories States and territories NW of the Ohio River and Mississippi Territory included

1810 Federal Census Enumeration date: 6 August 1810 Head of household and demographic tallies by age and race are the same as 1800 First data on manufacturing (quantity and value of products) gathered Resulted in poor quality of information due to serious undercounting and omissions during the enumeration

1820 Federal Census Enumeration date: 7 August 1820 Questions for Whites were the same, except for the addition of a 16-18 years category for males (to note those

of militia-age) Slaves and free colored males/females tallied by age Foreigners not naturalized Persons (including slaves) engaged in agriculture, commerce, and manufactures

1830 Federal Census

Enumeration date: 1 June 1830 Pre-printed forms used for the first time Number of age categories increased to 13 for Whites, and 6 for slaves, and free colored persons Deaf, dumb, blind categories added for each group

1840 Federal Census

Enumeration date: 1 June 1840 Form expanded to two pages (be sure to check for the second page when viewing digitized images) Questions about school, attendance, and literacy added Occupation – mining, agriculture, commerce, manufacture and trade, marine navigation, engineers – tallied Revolutionary War pensioners and their ages Idiot/insane (at public or private charge)

1850 Federal Census Free Inhabitants

Free persons in household listed individually by name

Y E A R S OF T HE C EN S U S

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For each: Age, place of birth, sex, color/race Whether married or attended school in the last year Profession or trade for each person over age of 15 “Social statistics” also tallied: Tax information, value of real estate School attendance Paupers and convicts

Slave Schedule Most slaves were listed by owner with a number (no name), age, sex, and color (B for Black or M for Mulatto) Whether they were deaf, dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic Listed in the same row as the owner:

o Number of uncaught escaped slaves in the last year o Number of freed (manumitted) slaves in the last year

Some given names written, particularly for those over 100 years old

1860 Federal Census Free Inhabitants

Same questions as 1850 for free inhabitants Visitation order (dwelling/family number) provided Enumerators could record the state, territory, or country for place of birth

Slave Schedule Same questions as 1850, adding one for number of slave houses

1870 Federal Census Color/Race column added two new categories:

o C for Chinese (a category that included all East Asians), and I for American Indian Month of birth Tallies for father/mother born in a foreign country Age of children under 1 listed as a fraction of 12, e.g. 5 months = 5/12 Column added for male citizens over the age of 21

o And for male citizens over the age of 21 denied the right to vote on grounds other than “rebellion or other crimes”

1880 Federal Census First year that relation to head of household was recorded Address of residence (street name, house number) Marital status – single, married, widowed, divorced Birthplace of mother and father Months employed during the previous year Disabled or ill at time of enumeration Stats for Alaska (population, industry, resources – no longer extant) and untaxed Indians also collected

1890 Federal Census

Majority destroyed by fire and water damage in 1921 Data collected included:

o Property ownership & indebtedness o Civil War military service o Race categories expanded to include Japanese and more mixed race options o For mothers: how many children and number living o For immigrants: years in US and naturalization info

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Less than 1% survived (covering 6,160 individuals) o Fragments exist from:

Alabama North Carolina Georgia Ohio Illinois South Dakota Minnesota Texas New Jersey District of Columbia New York

Alternative records for this time frame include:

1890 Veterans Schedule Tax lists City directories Voter lists Deeds and land records

1900 Federal Census Month and year of birth Immigration year, naturalization info Home ownership vs. renting property Hawaii (annexed in 1898) included for the first time Military personnel (including those abroad) were enumerated by the Departments of War and the Navy Indians living on reservations were enumerated on a unique form with the cooperation of the commissioner of

Indian Affairs o The Indian Population Schedule had questions specific to Indians, e.g. tribe, parents’ tribes, blood

quantum, whether polygamist, whether a citizen, etc. 1910 Federal Census

Color/Race added a new category: “other” Marriage number (first: M1; second M2, etc.) Employer, employee, or working on his own account Mother tongue added to nativity section Survivor of Union or Confederate Armey or Navy American Indian Population Schedule includes new questions

o Portion of white and black lineage, marriage info, education, and type of dwelling (“civilized” or “aboriginal”)

1920 Federal Census Year of naturalization Mother tongue of the individual, father, and mother Americans in Guam, American Samoa, Panama Canal Zone included For countries with WWI boundary changes, place of birth was listed as province, state, or region Race was determined by the enumerator’s perception

1930 Federal Census

Color/Race categories expanded to include Mex for Mexican, Hin for Hindu, Kor for Korean, Fil for Filipino Age at first marriage Value of home or rent paid Veterans’ status and which war Does this family have a radio set? Census of Unemployment asked those who did not work the day before enumeration about work history,

reason for not working, whether they are able to work, etc.

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Alabama California Connecticut Georgia Illinois

Minnesota Nebraska New York North Carolina Ohio

Iowa Kansas Maine Massachusetts Michigan

South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington Territory

1940 Federal Census “X” marked beside the name of the person who provided the information to the enumerator Highest grade completed Residence as of 1 April 1935 Supplementary questions (for some) included:

o Place of birth of father and mother (and her native tongue) o Veteran or child of deceased veteran and which war o Does this person have a social security number? o For women: number of marriages, age at 1st marriage, and number of children born

Unreleased Censuses 1950 – Present

Copies can be requested by individuals who were enumerated on it Check sampling and short-form/long-form distribution at the Census Bureau website Check which years were later determined to have undercounted and by how much Short-forms asked very few questions, making the more recent censuses less detailed and narrower than

1850–1950 Censuses

Non-Population Schedules Non-population schedules or “special schedules” of the census were designed to gather statistical information

on a specific group within the overall population. They are referred to as “non-population” to distinguish them from the decennial (once every ten years)

Federal Census that enumerates the entire population of the United States. The Benefits of the Schedules — examples of when a schedule might help you with your research:

If your ancestor was enumerated on the Federal Census as a farmer, the Agricultural schedules may help build a clearer understanding of how large the farm was and what he or she grew on it.

If your ancestor’s occupation was enumerated as a “confectioner” on the Federal Census, the Manufacturing schedules may help you learn how lucrative their sweets business was.

If your ancestor died too early for a death record to have been created, but it was the year prior to a census when a Mortality schedule was taken, you might find information on their death there.

If your ancestor was a Veteran prior to 1890, you might be able to use the Veterans schedule of 1890 as an alternative to the destroyed 1890 Federal Census records.

Agricultural Schedules, 1850-1880 This schedule of the census focused on enumerating the value of and production on farmland on a farm-by-farm basis. The 1850-1870 schedules consist of two pages; 1880 is one page. Questions asked by these schedules include:

Proprietor of the farm Cash value of the farm; amount (in acres) of land; value of farming implements Number of livestock by type, and total value; value of animals slaughtered Number and value of crops, by-products, and manufactured goods produced in the last twelve months

Not all states were enumerated and not all states that were enumerated were enumerated every year between 1850-1880. Records for these schedules are available for the following states:

O T H ER C EN SU S R EC O R D S

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Manufacturing Schedules, 1850-1880 These schedules, also referred to as “Industry” or “Industrial” schedules, recorded statistical information regarding the value and production of manufacturers, both small businesses and large companies alike. The years of this schedule readily available in most online databases cover the years 1850-1880, though the schedule was also taken in 1820 and some manufacturer’s annotations were included on the pages of the 1810 Federal Census (both held at the National Archives). To be enumerated on this schedule, the business had to produce at least $500 worth of manufactured goods and the information provided is for the twelve months preceding the date. Questions these schedules asked include:

Name of corporation, company, or individual; name of business (or type, i.e. “baker”) Capital invested in the business; type, quantity, and value of raw materials used; type of power (i.e. steam) Number of employees by gender, and their wages Annual products manufactured, their quantities and value

Like the Agricultural schedule, not all states are enumerated by this schedule and not all states that were included were enumerated every year. The amount and detail of information included in this schedule varies from year to year as different questions were asked. Records for these schedules are available for the following states: Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 The Mortality Schedules serve as nation-wide death registers for the twelve months preceding a Federal Census. These often predate the earliest recorded death records for a given state and can be used as an alternative to a death record. Stillborn babies are also recorded in these schedules. Deaths recorded by this schedule occurred between June 1st of the preceding year and May 31st of the census year. Questions asked in the Mortality Schedules:

Deceased’s name, sex, age, color (“black,” “mulatto,” or “white”), and marital status, occupation Birth place, parent’s birth place (added in 1870) Month in which the death occurred, disease or cause of death, number of days ill Place where disease was contracted and how long the deceased was a resident of the area (added in 1880)

Records for these schedules are available for the following states, including those that enumerated a mortality schedule with their 1885 State Census:

Alabama California Georgia Illinois Iowa

Nebraska New York North Carolina Ohio South Carolina

Kansas Maine Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota

Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington Territory

Alabama (1850-1880) Arizona (1870-1880) Arkansas (1850-1880) California (1850-1880) Colorado (1880-1885) Connecticut (1850-1880) District of Columbia (1850-1880) Florida (1885) Georgia (1850-1880) Idaho (1870-1880) Illinois (1850-1880) Iowa (1850-1880)

New York (1850-1880) North Carolina (1850-1880) Ohio (1850-1880) Pennsylvania (1850-1880) South Carolina (1850-1880) Tennessee (1850-1880) Texas (1850-1880) Utah (1870-1880) Vermont (1870-1880) Virginia (1850-1880) Washington (1870-1880) Wisconsin (1850-1880)

Kansas (1860-1880) Kentucky (1850-1880) Louisiana (1850-1880) Maine (1850-1880) Massachusetts (1850-1880) Michigan (1850-1880) Minnesota (1860-1880) Montana (1870-1880) Nebraska (1860-1885) Nevada (1870-1880) New Hampshire (1850 New Jersey (1850-1880)

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1890 Veterans Schedule This schedule of surviving Civil War veterans (soldiers, sailors, and marines) can serve as a partial substitute for the missing 1890 Federal Census that was destroyed by a fire in 1921. It can be can also be used as an incomplete list of all heads of household for all who were old enough to have served during the war. Both veterans and the surviving widows of veterans were enumerated. Information by this schedule includes:

Name of veteran or widow Rank, name of regiment or vessel Date of enlistment, date of discharge, length of service Post office address Disability incurred during or due to service Any additional remarks

Records for this schedule are available for the following states:

State/Territorial Censuses Missouri – 1844, 1852, 1856, 1868, 1876 Kansas – 1855 through 1925 Ann Lainhart’s State Census Records lists each state and its state census record availability and location Family Search Wiki provides info on state censuses and links you to digitized records Check libraries and repositories for print resources and microfilm

Online Sources Missouri Secretary of State – State Archives Website

www.sos.mo.gov/records/archives/census/pages o Territorial Censuses (1752–1818) and Tax Lists (1814–1821) o State Censuses (1840–1876) o Special Censuses (1857–2004)

These resources can also be accessed from the Missouri Digital Heritage database (it directs you to the website mentioned above)

District of Columbia Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska

South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma/Indian Territory Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island

Example: 1876 Missouri State

Census of Grand River Township,

Cass County, Missouri

Heads of house were recorded

individually; all others were

enumerated as tallies based on

race, sex, and age. Livestock,

crops, and products are also

recorded.

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Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 “Reservation Census”

Enumerated by agent of Bureau of Indian Affairs, usually the reservation superintendent Only those who maintained a formal affiliation with a federally-recognized tribe were enumerated Depending on when and where it was taken, varying degrees of detailed information and legibility Intermarried non-Indians typically not included Families of mixed tribal affiliation were not always enumerated together, check “at another jurisdiction”

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Visit the library’s locations page (www.casscolibrary.org/locations) for CCPL Genealogy’s location, contact information, and hours of operation. Information regarding our digital collections, access to online databases, submitting inquiries, and more, can be found on Cass County Public Library’s Genealogy Resources page, located here: www.casscolibrary.org/genealogy

Chelsea Clarke, Branch Manager askgenealogy@casscolibrary.org

Cass County Public Library – Genealogy Branch 400 E. Mechanic St. Harrisonville, MO – 816.884.6285

Example: Reservation Census for Tonawanda Band of Seneca, New York; taken June 1897

Example: Reservation Census for the Osage, Oklahoma; taken June 1914, includes Indian name