The information gather in a Census has changed over the years. Below is a sampling of the information that was gathered in the 19th Century.
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Census of 1800
Entries list name and address of head of family;
number of free whites under 10 years of age, 10 and under 16, 16 and under 26, 26 and under 45, and 45 years and upward in the household;
number of all other free persons except Indians not taxed; and number of slaves.
Census of 1810
Lists name and address of head of family;
number of free whites under 10 years of age, 10 and under 16, 16 and under 45, and 45 years and upward in the household;
number of all other free persons except Indians not taxed;
and number of slaves.
Census of 1820
Lists name and address of head of family;
number of free white males and females under 10 years of age, 10 and under 16, between 16 and 18, 16 and under 26, 26 and under 45, and 45 years and upward in the household;
number of foreigners not naturalized;
number of persons engaged in agriculture, commerce or manufacturing;
number of free blacks and slaves by various age and sex categories;
and number of all other persons except Indians not taxed.
Census of 1830
Lists name and address of head of family;
number of free white males and females in five-year groups to 20, ten year age intervals from 20 to 100, and 100 years old and upward in the household;
number of free male and female black persons by age and sex;
number of slaves by age and sex;
and the number of aliens.
Census of 1840
Lists name and address of head of family;
number of free white males and females in five-year age groups to 20, ten year age groups from 20 to 100 years old and over;
number of free male and female black persons and slaves according to age groups;
number of persons classified as deaf, dumb, blind, and insane or idiotic in public and private charge; number of persons in each family employed in various classes of occupations;
number of white persons over 20 who were illiterate;
and names and ages of any military pensioners.
Census of 1850-1860
Lists name, address, age, sex, race, and occupation for each free person;
occupation and value of real estate owned for all free males over the age of 15 years;
birthplace;
marital status;
whether individual was illiterate, attended school within the year, or was a pauper or convict. Entries regarding slavery show name, age, sex and color of slave;
information about whether individual was a fugitive;
and slave owner's name.
Census of 1870
Lists name, address, age, sex, race, and birthplace for each person in household;
occupation and estate value of all males over 21 years old;
whether person attended school or was married within year;
whether individual's parents were of foreign birth;
and for a person 10 years or older, whether he or she was deaf, blind, insane, idiotic or able to read and write.
Census of 1880
Lists name, address, sex, race, birthplace, age, marital status, relationship to head of family, profession, occupation or trade;
number of months unemployed during census year;
whether individual was sick, temporariy disabled, literate, blind, deaf, dumb, idiotic, insane, maimed, crippled or bedridden;
whether person attended school;
and parents' birthplace.
Census of 1890
Destroyed by a fire in Washington in 1921.
A Special Census of 1890, Schedule Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War is available on microfilm. Entries list name and address of person surveyed, veteran's rank, company, regiment, length of service, dates of enlistment and discharge, and any disability incurred.
Census of 1900
Lists name, address, race, sex, date of birth, age at last birthday, marital status;
relationship to head of family;
number of children that each mother gave birth to, and the number of offspring still alive;
place of birth of person and parents;
occupation, trade or profession of everyone over 10 years old;
number of months every able-bodied person unemployed that year;
how many months of school each household member attended.
Census of 1910
Lists name, address, race, sex, age at last birthday, marital status;
relationship to head of household;
whether house is owned or rented;
whether house is owned free or mortgaged;
year of immigration to United States;
whether naturalized or alien;
year of naturalization;
whether attended school since September 1, 1909;
ability to read and write;
place of birth
parents' birthplace;
ability to speak English;
trade or profession;
industry or business in which work;
whether employer, employee or self-employed.
Census of 1920
Lists name, address, race, sex, age at last birthday, marital status;
relationship to head of household;
whether house is owned or rented;
whether house is owned free or mortgaged;
year of immigration to United States;
whether naturalized or alien;
year of naturalization;
whether attended school since September 1, 1919;
ability to read and write;
place of birth;
mother tongue;
parents' birthplace and mother tongues;
ability to speak English;
trade or profession;
industry or business in which work;
whether employer, employee or self-employed.
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Hello,I noticed your entry on rootsweb under the surname Luther. I am trying to find the family of Martin Luther b. abt 1803 somewhere in the USA. Tradition in the family says he came from Pennsylvania. He married Selina Mulloy in 1824 in Albion County, Ontario, Canada, and had a son, Peter.
I hope we can make a connection.
Kelvin Luther
Kelvin Luther
Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology State University of New York at Stony Brook Stony Brook, NY 11794
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I am looking for a connection for Amanda Lentz, born 12 Nov 1810 in PA.
Jim Duggan
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I am looking for information on Emma Swenson (b 1871 in Kansas) who married Jonas Olson on May 4, 1896, possibly in the White City, Morris County, KS area. Emma was an older sister of my grandfather, Joseph Jonathan Swenson, who was born in 1884 in White City, KS. If you have any information, I would love to hear from you!
Marlette Swenson Larsen
U S Legacies Magazine January 2003
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