Navigating the U.S. Census

This was a really great class about the census by Allison Krutsch and Diana Harmon. The evening was broken up into two parts; things to remember about the census and how to use the census.

Four things I learned about the census

1. Census records were not created for genealogical purposes. They were instead created by the government for taxation purposes, and to learn more about the citizens of this country. I learned that the 1880 soundex index was created mainly to look at families who had children under ten years old. The government was looking ahead at the people who would use a program we know as Social Security. Since the census is not created for the purpose of genealogy, we can learn more about our ancestors than the typical birth, marriage and death genealogist are searching for. This helps us paint a picture in our minds about what their lives were like.

2. Census records are secondary sources. This means that the information on the census was not taken at the time the events occurred. There might be some information on the census that is incorrect because of the person that is giving the information who did not know all the correct answers.

3. There are many different kinds of census records. Here is a short list of some of the different kinds of census records: Mortality, Veterans, Slave, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Indian, etc. Remember look at the federal census for clues indicating that you should go to one of the other types of censuses. You can go to the FamilySearch wiki for more information about different types of census records.

4. Every census has different information so it is really important to understand what each census is looking for. Here is a link to a blog that has a year by year look at what each census has... http://www.ancestryinsider.org/2012/08/ancestrycom-free-census-weekend-time.html

Six things I learned about using the census

1. When looking at census records, compare the information to what you already know about the family.

2. Relationships are to the head of the household.

3. Look at all of the columns to see what is being asked. You can find blank forms on ancestry.com or on the FamilySearch Wiki.

4. Pay attention to other people on the page. The neighbors could help you further your research.

5. Look at all the pages of the census. The 1840 census has two pages with information about your family on it. On the second page it lists who in the household had received a military pension and what their age was. (I am currently re looking at all my 1840 censuses to make sure I have all the information about my family)

6. Understand the history of the area because it will help you understand what you are learning about your family. It can also help you look for more information about your family.

thanks for a great class and good luck with your census research!