How to Trace Your Ancestors with the 1790-1810 US Census

Most genealogists working in the US have learnedproperty, military, immigration and naturalization records.
what a valuable tool the US Census is. But the ins andSearching census and other records can be a
outs of each census record are intricate. It seems liketime-consuming task. A professional genealogy
each decade something changed about theresearch service can provide you with
information included or the way it was recorded. Thisthoroughly-researched, pertinent information from
perception is quite often the case. The history of thecensus and other records.Tracing Your Ancestors
US Census Records is important to understand whenwith the 1790-1810 CensusesBy order of the
using it as a resource to trace your ancestors. ThisConstitution, an official enumeration of United States
article features census searching tips and covers thecitizens needed to be made to determine the exact
history of the US Census from 1790 to 1810. Part twonumber of representatives each state warranted in
in this series covers US Census history from 1820 tothe new Congress. Repeated every ten years, the
1880, including 1850, a watershed year in censuscensus was posted in a public place for verification
history. The third and last article covers the history ofand sent to Congress.The first censuses listed each
the census from 1890 to the present.Census Searchinghead of household by name and gave the number of
TipsTry any and all spellings of first and last names, orfree white persons and slaves in the household.
use Soundex if possible. Some enumerators wereBeginning in 1810, these counts were divided by age
quite "creative" in recording people's names. Especiallygroup and gender. For example, a family might be
in earlier censuses, many people could not write orlisted by the father's name and indicate that there was
spell their own name for the enumerator. Recentone free female under 10, one slave female and one
immigrants might also have had thick accents.slave male 10-16 years old, one free female between
McCollum, for example, might be rendered McCullum,16 and 26, one free male 26-45 and one free male
McCullom, MacCallum (its derivation), MacCollum,over 45. For these six people, we have only one
McColm, McCollin (that's straight from the censusname. For full names and exact ages, other records
record), etc. A fairly common name, Franklin hasare necessary. This notation system was used
fourteen extant spelling variations that might appearthrough the 1840 census.Census records of the 1790
(including two f's, two n's, ck for k, y for i, a silent e, andcensus are missing from Delaware, Kentucky, New
combinations of the four). My husband's genealogy hasJersey, Georgia, and Virginia. They were lost some
the surname Faulkner spelled four different ways intime before 1830. These were the first but not the last
four generations, and each of those men could havecensus records to be destroyed through carelessness.
used any or all of those spellings during their lives, ifIt appears that the 1800 census is complete.The 1810
they were literate. You get the idea.census also lists information on "manufacturing."
Keep in mind that city, county and state boundariesCensus takers were not told exactly what to inquire
have changed, especially from the times of the earliestabout for this category, so it may include personal
censuses. Counties existed then that don't now, andproperty, livestock, etc. Indications of property should
vice versa. There is a map guide to help you findalso lead you to tax and deed information.A
locations in each census.When reading census records,descendant of many avid genealogists, Jordan
read every column, all the way across the page. TheMcCollum works for 10x Marketing, an internet
wealth of information contained in each censusmarketing firm. For more information on tracing your
records helps you to learn more about your ancestors.ancestors or professional genealogist research, see
It can also point you toward more documents, like tax,Heirlines Family History & Genealogy.