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