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

Most genealogists working in the US have learnedyou to learn more about your ancestors. It can
what a valuable tool the US Census is. But the insalso point you toward more documents, like tax,
and outs of each census record are intricate. Itproperty, military, immigration and naturalization
seems like each decade something changed aboutrecords. Searching census and other records can
the information included or the way it wasbe a time-consuming task. A professional
recorded. This perception is quite often the case.genealogy research service can provide you with
The history of the US Census Records isthoroughly-researched, pertinent information from
important to understand when using it as acensus and other records.
resource to trace your ancestors. This articleTracing Your Ancestors with the 1790-1810
features census searching tips and covers theCensuses
history of the US Census from 1790 to 1810. PartBy order of the Constitution, an official
two in this series covers US Census history fromenumeration of United States citizens needed to
1820 to 1880, including 1850, a watershed year inbe made to determine the exact number of
census history. The third and last article coversrepresentatives each state warranted in the new
the history of the census from 1890 to theCongress. Repeated every ten years, the census
present.was posted in a public place for verification and
Census Searching Tipssent to Congress.
Try any and all spellings of first and last names, orThe first censuses listed each head of household
use Soundex if possible. Some enumerators wereby name and gave the number of free white
quite "creative" in recording people's names.persons and slaves in the household. Beginning in
Especially in earlier censuses, many people could1810, these counts were divided by age group
not write or spell their own name for theand gender. For example, a family might be listed
enumerator. Recent immigrants might also haveby the father's name and indicate that there was
had thick accents. McCollum, for example, mightone free female under 10, one slave female and
be rendered McCullum, McCullom, MacCallum (itsone slave male 10-16 years old, one free female
derivation), MacCollum, McColm, McCollin (that'sbetween 16 and 26, one free male 26-45 and one
straight from the census record), etc. A fairlyfree male over 45. For these six people, we have
common name, Franklin has fourteen extantonly one name. For full names and exact ages,
spelling variations that might appear (including twoother records are necessary. This notation
f's, two n's, ck for k, y for i, a silent e, andsystem was used through the 1840 census.
combinations of the four). My husband's genealogyCensus records of the 1790 census are missing
has the surname Faulkner spelled four differentfrom Delaware, Kentucky, New Jersey, Georgia,
ways in four generations, and each of those menand Virginia. They were lost some time before
could have used any or all of those spellings during1830. These were the first but not the last
their lives, if they were literate. You get the idea.census records to be destroyed through
Keep in mind that city, county and statecarelessness. It appears that the 1800 census is
boundaries have changed, especially from thecomplete.
times of the earliest censuses. Counties existedThe 1810 census also lists information on
then that don't now, and vice versa. There is a"manufacturing." Census takers were not told
map guide to help you find locations in eachexactly what to inquire about for this category,
census.so it may include personal property, livestock, etc.
When reading census records, read every column,Indications of property should also lead you to tax
all the way across the page. The wealth ofand deed information.
information contained in each census records helps