| The United States Constitution provided for a | | | | each state and territory enabling genealogists to |
| count of the population of the country three | | | | find their ancestors and where they lived. This |
| years from the first meeting of the Congress and | | | | census included, for the first time, Guam, |
| for every ten years thereafter. Thus, the first | | | | American Samoa, and the Panama Canal Zone. If |
| census was taken in 1791 and the next will be | | | | you find your family in the index, then you know |
| taken this year in 2010. Since people realize that | | | | where to look for the census image. |
| this is the law, we hope they cooperate by | | | | The 1920 census provided some problems as did |
| answering the questions asked by the census | | | | all the censuses. In several instances, women, |
| taker. The census is important for distributing | | | | rather than men, were listed as heads of the |
| representatives for the people and the funds for | | | | household in the 1920 Soundex index and a |
| many programs. Genealogists love the census as | | | | search focused on a male name will be be |
| it shows a family all in one town and address. If | | | | unsuccessful. You need to be creative when |
| you have the surname and the city and county | | | | looking for your ancestral surname. Try using an |
| and state you will be able to find the family at a | | | | initial for the first name or try several different |
| certain address. | | | | spellings. Some men went by their middle name or |
| Genealogists are advised to begin with the latest | | | | maybe the middle name and the initial for the first |
| released census and work backwards. If you | | | | name. If looking into a small town or farm |
| have found your ancestors in the 1930 census, | | | | country, use just the first name. The census was |
| you will have the knowledge to look into the 1920 | | | | started on January 1, 1920 and if the enumerator |
| census. Times were hard and families did not | | | | visited later, babies born and deaths incurred were |
| have the money to move. The 1920 census is | | | | not counted. |
| very helpful because it lists all the members at | | | | The occupations of the family members are listed |
| the same address, the year of immigration, the | | | | in the 1920 census. Persons working the same |
| year of naturalization and inquired about nativity | | | | occupation tend to stick together, immigrate to |
| and mother tongue of the parents. The year of | | | | the same towns and join the same clubs, all things |
| arrival of your foreign born ancestor is very | | | | that help in your search. County boundaries |
| important as you need this to search immigration | | | | changed frequently and that may complicate your |
| and passenger lists. The year of naturalization | | | | search. The specific questions asked of |
| allows you to look for naturalization records that | | | | immigrants will help pin down your family as to |
| offer further proof of your family and also the | | | | the right birth country. World War I changed |
| signature of the person naturalized. | | | | some countries and their boundaries. All in all, the |
| The 1920 census has a microfilmed index for | | | | 1920 census is extremely helpful to genealogists. |