| Most genealogists working in the US have learned | | | | property, military, immigration and naturalization records. |
| what a valuable tool the US Census is. But the ins and | | | | Searching census and other records can be a |
| outs of each census record are intricate. It seems like | | | | time-consuming task. A professional genealogy |
| each decade something changed about the | | | | research service can provide you with |
| information included or the way it was recorded. This | | | | thoroughly-researched, pertinent information from |
| perception is quite often the case. The history of the | | | | census and other records.Tracing Your Ancestors |
| US Census Records is important to understand when | | | | with the 1790-1810 CensusesBy order of the |
| using it as a resource to trace your ancestors. This | | | | Constitution, an official enumeration of United States |
| article features census searching tips and covers the | | | | citizens needed to be made to determine the exact |
| history of the US Census from 1790 to 1810. Part two | | | | number of representatives each state warranted in |
| in this series covers US Census history from 1820 to | | | | the new Congress. Repeated every ten years, the |
| 1880, including 1850, a watershed year in census | | | | census was posted in a public place for verification |
| history. The third and last article covers the history of | | | | and sent to Congress.The first censuses listed each |
| the census from 1890 to the present.Census Searching | | | | head of household by name and gave the number of |
| TipsTry any and all spellings of first and last names, or | | | | free white persons and slaves in the household. |
| use Soundex if possible. Some enumerators were | | | | Beginning in 1810, these counts were divided by age |
| quite "creative" in recording people's names. Especially | | | | group and gender. For example, a family might be |
| in earlier censuses, many people could not write or | | | | listed by the father's name and indicate that there was |
| spell their own name for the enumerator. Recent | | | | one 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 census | | | | name. For full names and exact ages, other records |
| record), etc. A fairly common name, Franklin has | | | | are necessary. This notation system was used |
| fourteen extant spelling variations that might appear | | | | through the 1840 census.Census records of the 1790 |
| (including two f's, two n's, ck for k, y for i, a silent e, and | | | | census are missing from Delaware, Kentucky, New |
| combinations of the four). My husband's genealogy has | | | | Jersey, Georgia, and Virginia. They were lost some |
| the surname Faulkner spelled four different ways in | | | | time before 1830. These were the first but not the last |
| four generations, and each of those men could have | | | | census records to be destroyed through carelessness. |
| used any or all of those spellings during their lives, if | | | | It 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 boundaries | | | | Census takers were not told exactly what to inquire |
| have changed, especially from the times of the earliest | | | | about for this category, so it may include personal |
| censuses. Counties existed then that don't now, and | | | | property, livestock, etc. Indications of property should |
| vice versa. There is a map guide to help you find | | | | also 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. The | | | | McCollum works for 10x Marketing, an internet |
| wealth of information contained in each census | | | | marketing 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. |