Clues in Census Records, 1790-1840
Experienced genealogical researchers use clues found in one record to find other records about the same individual. This page describes some of the clues found in census records.
Reasons for a Census in the United States:
- Consitutional
The census is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution calls for an “enumeration” to be made of the populace “within every subsequent term of 10 years.” In some ways, this idea was nothing new. The ancient Babylonians, Chinese, Egyptians and Romans all conducted censuses, as did William the Conqueror, who in 1086 inscribed info about England’s landowners into the so-called Domesday Book. Censuses are even mentioned in the Bible. However, the United States was one of the first modern countries to count all of its citizens and not just, say, military-age males. It was also the first country to constitutionally mandate a regular census and the first to use the census for apportioning political power. To this day, the number of seats each state holds in the House of Representatives depends entirely on census results.
2) Military
US had just “won” the Revolutionary War- Or did the arogant British “loose” it?
We KNEW they would be back and we needed to know how many men we had to protect ourselves. AND, as we moved West, we would also need men of military age- This the census question asking How many males were there age 16-18?
Lost Censuses:
Some census results have gone up in smoke.
Early census records from several states, including Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Tennessee and Virginia, have been lost to history. No one knows for sure what happened to them, but the prevailing theory holds that they were destroyed when British forces torched Washington, D.C., during the War of 1812. More than 99 percent of the 1890 census records are also gone, the result of a 1921 fire at the Commerce Department.
Evolution of the US Census:
https://pudding.cool/2020/03/census-history/
Where to Find Census Records Online:
Listings:
Use CyndisList http://CyndisList.com as a finding aid for discovering anything about censuses or anything genealogical
Free:
Family Search.Org
Heritage Quest- Available through most libraries in Texas/Texshare
Steve Morse’s Website at https://Stevemorse.org has several tools helpful to locating people on censuses, passenger records and name finding/spelling aids
Subscription:
Ancestry.com
MyHeritage.Com
Genealogybank.com https://www.genealogybank.com/explore/census/all
US GENEWEB Transcription Projects:
Free Forms:
Family Search Wiki https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/United_States_Census_Forms
Census Headings 1790-1860 https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/img_auth.php/0/0e/US_Census_Headings_1790-1860.pdf
Census Headings 1870-1930 https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/img_auth.php/b/b8/US_Census_Headings_1870-1930.pdf
Census Headings 1940 https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/1940_Census_United_States_%E2%80%93_Census_Form_Headings
Dollarhide Census Forms https://www.heritagequestonline.com/hqoweb/library/help/censusbook/Section%205.pdf
National Archives Census and Other Forms https://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/charts-forms
Census Forms at Rootsweb.com https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~craycroftfamily/genealogy/Research_files/U_S_Census_Returns.html
Census Analysis Forms
http://www.svcgg.org/documents/census_analysis_forms.pdf
Individual Census Worksheet-To keep track of your research for an individual https://stlgs.org/media/freeforms/r137-census-wksheet-2015.pdf
Census and Other Forms at Midcontinent Library, St Louis, MO https://www.mymcpl.org/genealogy/resources/family-history-forms
Census Day 1790-1840:
1790 August 2
1800 August 4- Was to conclude within 9 calendar months (April 1801)
1810 August 6- The first Monday on August
1820 August 7-The first Monday of August-Scheduled to end in 6 months but later extended by 7 months, ending September 1, 1821
1830 June 1- Filing date extended to August 1st 1831
1840 June 1-Due by November 1, 1840 (6 months)
Overview of the Censuses 1790-1840
After each census there were federal publications published detailing various aspects of that census. When on the following pages you are taken to for each census year below, there are links to federal compilation statistical publications for that census year. Many of them I have only seen in Federal Repository Library Collections.
https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/overview/1790.html
Authorizing Legislation
1790 Census:
The first census began more than a year after the inauguration of President Washington and shortly before the second session of the first Congress ended.
Congress assigned responsibility for the 1790 census to the marshals of the U.S. judicial districts under an act which, with minor modifications and extensions, governed census taking through 1840.
The law required that every household be visited, that completed census schedules be posted in “two of the most public places within [each jurisdiction], there to remain for the inspection of all concerned…” and that “the aggregate amount of each description of persons” for every district be transmitted to the president.
Under the general direction of Thomas Jefferson, the Secretary of State, marshals took the census in the original 13 States, plus the districts of Kentucky, Maine, and Vermont, and the Southwest Territory (Tennessee).
Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson expressed skepticism over the final count, expecting a number that exceeded the 3.9 million inhabitants counted in the census.
1800 Census:
https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/overview/1800.html
Authorizing Legislation
An act of February 28, 1800 authorized the second census of the United States, which was to include the states and territories northwest of the Ohio River and Mississippi Territory.
The census was to conclude within nine calendar months of its start.
The guidelines for the 1800 enumeration followed those of the first census, with only minor alterations in the law.
John Marshall, secretary of state in 1800, was the nominal head of census operations.
By early 1801, however, Marshall was chief justice of the Supreme Court.
James Madison, his successor as secretary of state, oversaw the final tabulations and reported population totals to Congress and the president.
Enumeration
The questionnaire provided space to separately tally free white males and females in several age categories: under 10, 10 but under 15, 16 but under 25, 25 but under 45, and over 45. Indians, slaves, and free blacks were listed in single categories undivided into age groups.
1810 Census:
https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/overview/1810.html
Authorizing Legislation
The authorization act for the third census stipulated that an assistant marshal must actually visit each household, or the head of each family, within his designated enumeration district and should not rely on hearsay or the like to complete his count.
The act also mandated that the enumeration commence on the first Monday of August.
Enumeration
An act of May 1, 1810 amended the earlier authorizing legislation to require that, while they were collecting demographic data, assistant marshals also collect available economic data.
These men recorded the “several manufacturing establishments and manufactures within their several districts, territories, and divisions.”
The marshals transmitted the manufacturing data to the secretary of the treasury at the same time they sent the results of the population enumeration to the secretary of state.
No schedule was prescribed for the collection of industrial data and the nature of the inquiries were at the discretion of the secretary of the treasury.
Because of this, the collection of manufacturing data was so erratic that it was generally considered useless except to identify broad industrial trends.
Intercensal Activity
An act of May 16, 1812, provided for the publication of a digest of manufactures containing data on the kind, quality, and value of goods manufactured, the number of establishments, and the number of machines of various kinds used in certain classes of manufactures.
The report containing incomplete returns for more than 200 kinds of goods and including several items that were principally agricultural, was published in 1813.
1820 Census:
https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/overview/1820.html
Authorizing Legislation
The fourth census was taken in accordance with the census act of March 14, 1820, which required more detailed population-related inquiries than earlier enumerations.
This census is notable for being the first to inquire if respondents were engaged in agriculture, commerce, or manufacturing.
Enumeration
The enumeration began on the first Monday of August.
Its scheduled six-month completion time frame was extended by about seven months to September 1, 1821.
As in previous decades, the 1820 census act again required assistant marshals to visit every dwelling house, or head of every family within their designated districts.
Data relating to manufacturing were collected by assistants in each district, sent to the marshals, and then transmitted to the secretary of state along with the population returns.
The report on manufacturing presented the data for these establishments by counties, but the results were not summarized for each district and the aggregate statement that was released was based on incomplete returns.
The 1820 manufacturing census suffers the same criticism as that in 1810: Poor enumerator training resulted in dramatic variations in data quality and accuracy
1830 Census:
https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/overview/1830.html
Authorizing Legislation
President John Q. Adams, in his fourth address to the U.S. Congress on December 28, 1828, recommended starting the census earlier in the year than August 1.
He also proposed that the collection of age data be extended from infancy, in intervals of 10 years, “to the utmost boundaries of life.”
These changes were incorporated into the census act of March 23, 1830.
Enumeration
As in the previous census, marshals or their assistants visited every dwelling house for enumeration, or, as the law stated, made a personal inquiry of the head of every family in their district.
Because of delays in the compilation of the census returns, the filing date was extended to August 1, 1831.
In 1830, enumerators used uniform printed schedules for the first time.
In prior censuses, marshals had used whatever paper was available and had designed and bound the sheets themselves.
Because federal census clerks did not have to sort through a huge variety of schedules in 1830, they were able to tabulate census results more efficiently.
The 1830 census counted the population only.
After the failures of the past two censuses, no attempt was made to collect additional data on manufacturing and industry in the United States.
1840 Census:
https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/overview/1840.html
Authorizing Legislation
The Census Act of 1840 (signed into law on March 3, 1839 and amended by an act of February 26, 1840) authorized establishing a centralized census office during each enumeration.
Congress left the design of the questionnaire to the discretion of the secretary of state, but specified that inquiries be made of each household.
Subjects among the inquiries were to include “the pursuits, industry, education, and resources of the country.”
New population inquiries included questions about school attendance, literacy, and vocation.
Enumeration
The administration of the sixth census was very similar to that of the fifth.
Enumeration began on June 1, 1840.
Marshals were to receive two copies of the census receipts from enumerators by November 1, 1840, one of which was to be sent to the secretary of state by December 1, 1840
Further Information on each census 1790-2010
- A wide variety of historical statistics from this and other decades is available in Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970. It is available as a PDF [74.4MB] or 2-part ZIP file: Part I [52.2MB] | Part II [66.1MB].
- Reports and statistics from the 1830 census. Actually, each census 1790-2010
- History and Growth of the United States Census: 1790-1890 [PDF 117MB], by Carroll D. Wright and William C. Hunt.
Clues in Census Records, 1790-1840
Experienced genealogical researchers use clues found in one record to find other records about the same individual. Although the first six federal decennial censuses taken from 1790 through 1840 contain less data than those taken later, they still contain useful clues that should not be overlooked.
The 1790-1840 censuses generally named only the head of household but reported the age of each household member in age categories.
In addition, we can learn other things about a family
Name of Head of Household
Each population census 1790 through 1840 required only the name of the head of household.
Others in the household were enumerated with Arabic numbers only by gender, age and status. Ie. free whites, slaves and free people of color
Date of Birth, Gender and Status
1790:
- The six inquiries in 1790 called for the name of the head of the family and the number of persons in each household of the following descriptions:
- Free White males of 16 years and upward (to assess the country’s industrial and military potential)
- Free White males under 16 years
- Free White females
- All other free persons
- Slaves
1800
Males and Females under 10, 10 but under 15, 16 but under 26, 26 but under 45, and over 45.
Total Number of Slaves
Total Number of Persons of Color
1810
under 10, 10 but under 16, 16 but under 26, 26 but under 45, and over 45.
Total number of slaves
Total number of all other persons
1820
Males under 10, 10 but under 16, 16 to 18, 16 but under 26, 26 but under 45, and over 45.
Females under 10, 10 but under 16, 16 but under 26, 26 but under 45, and over 45
Male and Female Slaves under 14, 14 but under 26, 26 but under 45, and over 45
Males and Female Free Negroes under 14, 14 but under 26, 26 but under 45, and over 45
Number of persons Not Naturalized
Number of Person engaged in Agriculture
Number of Persons engaged in Commerce
Number of Persons engaged in Manufacturing
Number of All other free persons not taxed
1830
The questionnaire provided space to separately tally free white males and females in several age categories:
Males under 5, 5 to 9, 10 to 14, 15 to 19, 20 to 29, 30-39, 40-49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, 70 to 79, 80 to 89, 90 to 100, Over 100.
Females under 5, 5 to 9, 10 to 14, 15 to 19, 20 to 29, 30-39, 40-49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, 70 to 79, 80 to 89, 90 to 100, Over 100.
Male Slaves 0 to 9, 10 to 23, 24 to 35, Over 36
Female Slaves 0 to 9, 10 to 23, 24 to 35, Over 36
Free Colored Males 0 to 9, 10 to 23, 24 to 35, Over 36
Free Colored Females 0 to 9, 10 to 23, 24 to 35, Over 36
Persons Not Naturalized
1840
The questionnaire provided space to separately tally free white males and females in several age categories:
Males under 5, 5 to 9, 10 to 14, 15 to 19, 20 to 29, 30-39, 40-49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, 70 to 79, 80 to 89, 90 to 100, Over 100.
Females under 5, 5 to 9, 10 to 14, 15 to 19, 20 to 29, 30-39, 40-49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, 70 to 79, 80 to 89, 90 to 100, Over 100.
Male Slaves 0 to 9, 10 to 23, 24 to 35, Over 36
Female Slaves 0 to 9, 10 to 23, 24 to 35, Over 36
Free Colored Males 0 to 9, 10 to 23, 24 to 35, Over 36
Free Colored Females 0 to 9, 10 to 23, 24 to 35, Over 36
Pensioners by name and exact age of Revolutionary War pensioners in a household
Military Service
The 1840 census asked for the names and ages of “Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services, Included in the Foregoing [Household].”
Pensioners included both veterans and widows.
For example, veteran Alexander Tackels, aged 85, was enumerated in the household of Jonathan Arnold in Middlebury, Genesee (now Wyoming) Co., NY,
and the widow Chloe
McCullar, aged 81 1/2, was enumerated in the household of W.W. Blake in St.
Albans Township, Licking Co., OH.
This clue should lead the researcher to Revolutionary War military service and
pension records.
The pension files, which are especially useful, have been reproduced in NARA microfilm publication M804,
Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files (2,670 rolls).
Military service records are also available on microfilm; for more information see listings for Record Group 93,
War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records, in
Microfilm Resources for Research: A Comprehensive Catalog (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1996),
Since elderly persons usually resided with kinfolk, the pensioners’ presence in these households should be a clue that the pensioner may be related to someone in the household. For example, William W. Blake’s wife’s maiden name was Nancy McCullar; she was one of Chloe McCullar’s children.
Pensions and service records are available online at several different database websites including:
Ancestry, Fold 3, Family Search, Heritage Quest
Immigration and Naturalization
The 1820 census reported the number of “Foreigners not naturalized”
in each household;
The 1830 census reported the number of “ALIENS–Foreigners not naturalized” in each household.
For example, the 1820 census for Geauga County, Ohio, reported that these households included aliens:
| Name | Number of Aliens | Township |
| Thomas Ainslee | 2 | Parkman |
| Francis Bark | 1 | Painesville |
| Francis Billette | 3 | Painesville |
| John Graham 2d | 1 | Perry |
| Abel Levins | 1 | Parkman |
Although these censuses do not specify which person or persons in the household were aliens, this clue should alert the researcher to:
(1) to search for known household members in immigration records,
(2) to be alert to clues in other records that point to the suspected immigrant’s possible foreign origins, and
(3) to search for possible later naturalization records for the suspected immigrant.
Unfortunately, however, there are relatively few ship passenger lists (immigration records) before January 1, 1820,
when the Federal Government began requiring such lists to be presented to collectors of customs.
Occupation and Economic Data
1810 Census
In 1810, the U.S. marshals and their assistants who took the census were instructed to obtain information about manufacturing.
However, since they were not told what questions to ask, the information collected varied widely.
For example, Eli Waste of Wilmington, Windham Co., VT, owned one loom that produced the following yards of cloth:
60 woolen, 50 linen, 10 cotton, and 50 mixed fabrics,
while James Weston [sic, Westurn] of Orwell, Rutland (now Addison) Co., VT, owned seven sheep, one spinning wheel,
and one little spinning
wheel that produced 25 yards of woolen cloth and 15 yards of linen cloth.
Clues about livestock may lead to personal property tax records, kept by the
county treasurer, county auditor, or equivalent official.
1820 Census
The 1820 census reported the number of persons in each household who engaged in
agriculture, commerce, and manufacturing.
If household members engaged in agriculture (i.e., were farmers), the
researcher should check for deeds and mortgages
in the county recorder’s office or equivalent agency,
and for real and personal property tax records kept by the county auditor, county treasurer, or equivalent official.
Not all farmers owned land or livestock, of course,
but it is always
worthwhile to check all extant records for the place where a person is known to
have lived.
If household members engaged in manufacturing,
the researcher should examine NARA microfilm publication M279, Records of the 1820 Census of Manufactures (27 rolls).
According to the instructions given the U.S. marshals and their assistants, persons engaged in manufacturing included both
(1) both employees in “manufacturing establishments” and
(2) “artificers, handicrafts men, and mechanics whose labor is preeminently of the hand, and not upon the field.
” The manufacturing census schedules in M279 include information about:
- The type of business;
- Kinds and quantities of raw materials used;
- Number of persons employed;
- Number and type of machinery;
- Expenditures for capital (equipment) and wages;
- Type and quality of goods produced annually; and
- General remarks.
Three cautions are in order, however:
First, a person listed as a manufacturer in the population census may
not be included in the 1820 manufacturing schedules in M279.
For example, M279 contains information about 13 manufacturing establishments in Batavia
(now Middlefield), Burton, Chardon, and Parkman Twps., Geauga Co., OH,
but the population census lists 60 households in the same
townships in which one or more persons were engaged in manufacturing!
Second, a household may include only persons “engaged in
agriculture” according to the population census,
yet have a manufacturing schedule in M279.
For example, M279 includes a manufacturing schedule for a pot and pearl ashery owned by “Ives & Doty” of Parkman Twp., Geauga Co., OH,
yet the population census
reported Jesse Ives and Asa Doty’s households only included persons
“engaged in agriculture.”
Third, persons who are not listed as head of household in the population
census may have a manufacturing schedule in M279.
For example, Daniel Earle, Oliver Gavitt, and R.W. Scott are all listed in M279 as manufacturers in Parkman Township, Geauga Co., OH,
but are not named as heads of household in the population census anywhere in the county.
1840 Census
The 1840 census reported the number of persons in each household who engaged in
mining;
agriculture; commerce; manufactures and trades;
navigation of the ocean; navigation of canals, lakes, and rivers;
and learned professions and engineers.
Again, researchers should check land and tax records kept by county officials,
especially when the
household was engaged in agricultural pursuits.Conclusion
Experienced genealogical researchers use clues found in one record to locate
other records about the same individual. However, it is always best to
thoroughly exhaust all extant records for the place where the person is known
to have lived, as shown by the above analysis of the surprises found in the
1820 manufacturing schedules for Geauga Co., OH.