Federal Population Census Schedules
This article originally appeared in Exchange,
a newsletter published by the Wisconsin Historical
Society.
(Volume 30, Number 2, Spring 1988) It is the seventh
in a series of articles titled Researching
Community History. The series highlights
the Society's resources available to local
historians.
It was written by Jim
Hansen, reference librarian at the Wisconsin Historical
Society.
Sauk City village-917, Sheboygan city-7314, Waukesha village-2969,
Ahnapee city-948, New Munster village-87. These population
totals, from the census of 1880, are examples of what
every local researcher is likely to need at some point
in his or her research
— information on the population of the city, village or town
being investigated. However, these totals, fascinating
though they can be by themselves, are only the introduction
to a mass of records of nearly unparalleled detail
and interest to the local historian — the original records
of the federal censuses.
The federal government has taken a census of the population of the
United States every 10 years beginning in 1790 and
continuing through the 22nd census, taken in 2000.
Each census has had the statistical data published
but, for the earlier censuses, the original schedules
have much more to offer the local historian. The original
manuscripts of the federal censuses from 1790-1920
are open to the public and are available on microfilm
at the Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin
is first covered in extant schedules in the census
of 1820. Brown and Crawford counties, covering most
of the present-day state, were part of Michigan Territory
at that time and were enumerated on a total of two
pages. The later censuses of 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860,
1870, 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920 are also available,
and with the more recent censuses provide much more
information both in volume and detail. A fire at the
U.S. Census Bureau in 1921 destroyed the original manuscripts
of the 1890 U.S. censuses. No Wisconsin schedules (and
almost none for the rest of the country) survive for
that particular census year.
The earliest available censuses for Wisconsin, those of 1820, 1830
and 1840, are somewhat limited in the information they
provide, recording the name of only the head of the
household and listing the rest of the members as so
many males or females within a variety of age categories.
Beginning in 1850, however, the census schedules became
much more detailed and informative for the researcher,
listing the name, age, sex, race and state or country
of birth of each individual. They give the occupations
for all males 15 years of age or older and the value
of the real estate owned by the head of the household.
Later censuses also contained this basic core of information and gradually
add more details. In 1860 the value of the "personal
estate" was added.
In 1870 the census asked whether the parents of each
individual were of foreign birth and whether adult
males were citizens of the United States. The census
of 1880 indicates the relationship of each individual
to the head of household, as well as the state or country
of birth of the parents of each individual listed.
The 1900 census provides even more detail, indicating
the number of years married for wedded couples, the
year of immigration for foreign born residents, and
the naturalization status of immigrants. The census of 1910 again
contains this information. The 1920 census dropped the question about
number of years married, but did add a question about the year of
naturalization.
The census is most important as a snapshot of a particular community at a particular stage in its development. The census for any given area was normally taken over a limited period of time and thus provides a mass of detail that can be absorbed and manipulated. There are, however, some difficulties in using these materials effectively.
The basic arrangement of the census remains essentially the same from year to year. The census of the entire United States is normally arranged by state; within a state by county; and within a county by township or municipality. However, in early years the enumerators frequently did not separately identify municipalities from the townships in which they were located. The 1870 census does this to some extent but the 1880 census was the first to make this separation in any regular and consistent fashion. Although the overall arrangement of census schedules remains fairly consistent, when the researcher reaches the local level that logical pattern breaks down. How a particular enumerator chose to traverse his designated area was entirely up to that enumerator's judgment. Unless the researcher is willing to undertake extensive and detailed investigation, the exact path of the enumerator through his area is not normally known.
The census of any given area is only as accurate and useful as its
enumerator made it. The enumerators were as human as
any other officials, and the researcher will find considerable
variation in the level of care and accuracy with which
the censuses were taken. Enumerators were hired through the patronage
system during the 19th century, with little attention given to any
special qualifications that the individual did or did not have. Enumerators
frequently had particular difficulty in areas with
large immigrant populations, and there are obvious indications in
the census records of confusion caused by language barriers and similar
problems. It should also be understood that any given census is likely
to have missed individuals for a variety of reasons including lack
of care by the enumerator, individuals in the process of migrating
or moving, and individuals refusing to answer the inquiries or simply
disappearing into the woods when the census taker came around. Another
possibility that may occasionally be encountered is the opposite situation,
an overcount. While this has not been documented in Wisconsin, there
have been cases identified in large cities, particularly
in 1870, and the phenomenon is not unknown in other census enumerations
as well. If the researcher encounters substantial numbers of people
who cannot be documented in other sources as being in the community,
the possibility of an overcount should be considered.
As indicated above, the Wisconsin Historical Society
holds microfilm of the U.S. censuses for the entire
United States from 1790-1920. Copies of the microfilms
for Wisconsin only from 1820-1880 and 1900-1920 are
available for interlibrary
loan. Microfilm of the 1850, 1860, and 1870 censuses can be purchased
from the library, and other
years are available for sale from the National Archives. Many local
libraries or historical societies will also hold microfilm of the
census records for their immediate areas. These detailed enumerations
of the population represent a basic research tool for
many local history projects.
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