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1790-1890 Federal Population Censuses
General Information
See Also:
Article I, section 2, of the U.S. Constitution requires that a
decennial population census, a nationwide enumeration or count of
the population, be taken every 10 years. Congress uses the
census figures to apportion seats in the House of Representatives.
The census also determines each state's number of votes in the
electoral college, which selects the President and Vice President;
and affects apportionment in state and local legislatures.
Section 9 provides that "no capitation or other direct tax shall be
laid, unless in proportion to the census or Enumeration herein
before directed to be taken."
The population schedules, first prepared in 1790, contain a
wealth of information for historians, economists, and other
researchers interested in topics such as Revolutionary War
pensioners, Civil War veterans, western expansion, regional and
local history, immigration, and naturalization.
To ensure the privacy of individuals, Congress has provided for a
72-year restriction to access of Federal census schedules. The
1920 census was released in 1992; the 1930 census will be opened
in 2002. To obtain specific nonrestricted data from post-1920
censuses, use Bureau of the Census Form BC-600, Application for
Search of Census Records. Copies of BC-600 are available from
the Bureau of the Census, P.O. Box 1545, Jeffersonville, IN
47131.
This catalog lists the microfilmed copies of the original 1790-1890 schedules
and the published 1790 schedules.
All of the microfilm catalogs available through the National Archives Web site
are also offered in printed form. For ordering information, please contact Product
Sales Section (NWPS), National Archives and Records Administration, Room G7,
700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20408-0001; telephone 1-800-234-8861
or 202-501-7190; fax 202-501-7170.
Microfilm copies of the 1790-1930 population schedules are available for rental
and sale. See instructions in the section
Census Availability and Access.
Microfilmed copies of census schedules are located in the Microfilm Research
Room in the National Archives Building, which is on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
between Seventh and Ninth Streets in Washington, DC, as well as the
13 National
Archives regional records services facilities. A list of the regional facilities,
their addresses, telephone numbers, and other information is provided at the
end of this introduction.
Many state and local archives, libraries, and genealogical or historical societies;
many of the Family History Centers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints (Mormons); and other institutions have purchased all or some of the census
microfilms. Information on many of these institutions appears in Alice Eichholz,
ed., Ancestry's Red Book: American State, County, & Town Sources
(Salt Lake City: Ancestry Publishing Co., 1991) and Elizabeth Petty Bentley,
The Genealogist's Address Book (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co.,
3d ed., 1995).
Census Schedules
The 1790-1820 population schedules were nearly all handwritten; the Government
started using printed schedules in 1830. With each census, the forms asked for
additional information. See Guide to Genealogical Research in the National
Archives, chapter 1, and 200 Years of U.S. Census Taking: Population
and Housing Questions, 1790-1990 (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce,
Bureau of the Census, 1989). The latter work is available at some commercial
bookstores.
The 1790-1840 schedules furnish only the names of the free heads of family,
not of other family members. These schedules totaled the number of other family
members, without name, by free or slave status. Also, the sex and age categories
that the schedules first used only for free whites from 1790 through 1810 eventually
applied to other persons, and the age categories increased after 1790.
The 1820 census first asked about naturalization status. The 1840 census included
a special inquiry regarding pensioners for Revolutionary or military service.
This section named persons who were either family heads or members and specified
the pensioner's age, not just a range of ages. The results were summarized in
Census of Pensioners: Revolutionary or Military Services . . . (Washington,
DC: Blair and Rives, 1841). Roll 3 of First Census of the United States, 1790,
National Archives Microfilm Publication T498 reproduces this report.
The 1850 census was the first to record each person's name,
specific age, occupation of those over age 15, place of birth,
and value of real estate. The slave schedules, however, name only
the slave owner and indicate only if a slave was black or
mulatto, and his or her sex and age.
The 1860 schedules were almost identical to those for 1850, but
the 1860 census was the first to inquire about the value of each
free person's personal estate.
The 1870 schedule asked if a person's father or mother were
foreign born. Columns 19 and 20 cover "Constitutional relations."
The enumerator checked column 19 if a male was a "citizen of the
U.S. of 21 years of age and upwards." In column 20 the enumerator
marked if a male citizen 21 years or older had his "right to
vote denied or abridged on other grounds than rebellion or other
crime." In other words, was the person denied the right to vote
in violation of the 14th amendment, which guarantees citizenship,
due process, and equal protection under the law for men
regardless of race.
The 1880 schedule was the first to ask about the relationship of each individual
to the head of the family, specifying what could only be assumed in earlier
censuses. Moreover, the 1880 census was the first to inquire about the birthplace
of each person's parents, including the country of those who were foreign born.
The census gives the state or country of birth, not the city or county. A fire
destroyed many 1890 population and special schedules, and water used to extinguish
the blaze damaged many more. As a result, the Government disposed of most schedules.
The few remaining 1890 population schedules or fragments are indexed. For information
about the 1890 schedules and the fire, see Kellee Blake, "First
in the Path of Firemen: The Fate of the 1890 Population Census," Prologue:
Quarterly of the National Archives and Records Administration 28 (Spring
1996): 64-81. The 1890 Special Schedules . . . Enumerating Union Veterans and
Widows of Veterans of the Civil War (M123), are most important for providing
data about the military service of veterans, including some Confederates. The
information about post office addresses and sometimes streets and house numbers
can lead outside the National Archives to important non-Federal records such
as deeds, tax lists, and other property records that are mostly kept at local
levels.
Catalog Arrangement
This catalog arranges the 1790-1890 schedules chronologically, and thereunder
alphabetically by state and county. The counties are generally in alphabetical
order. Some of the major cities, such as Philadelphia, are listed separately.
The catalog also lists the enumeration districts (EDs) for the 1880 schedules.
Microfilm Problems
The National Archives acquired the master negative microfilm
rolls from the Bureau of the Census and could not correct some
problems with legibility. Also, some Census Bureau volume pages
at the beginning of the schedules may omit or misorder counties,
MCDs, or EDs and include other errors that the National Archives
did not create but which this catalog reflects. The Soundex,
prepared by the Works Progress Administration, and the microfilm
produced by the Bureau of the Census may include additional
problems. While the National Archives did not have the staff
necessary to detect and correct all these problems, researchers
who identify any may report them to the Records Control and
Product Management Branch (NWP), National Archives and Records
Administration, Washington, DC 20408.
Census Indexes
Privately Printed Indexes
Privately printed indexes are available for most States or
territories from 1790 through 1870 and for the 1890 special
schedules. For each state or territory, these indexes typically
alphabetize surnames (last names) and then given (first) names or
other names and initials of heads of families and specify the
county, city, and possibly an MCD. The Microfilm Research Room,
regional records services facilities, and numerous libraries or
other institutions have many of these indexes, which appear in
microfilmed, microfiched, or published form.
Many schedules have different kinds of page numbers. Forewards to
the indexes, though, usually explain the approach used and may
include helpful aids such as census maps, histories, and
bibliographies. Some indexes for early censuses also transcribe
most census data from the schedules.
Government Indexes
The Microfilm Research room and the 13 Regional Records Services facilities
hold microfilmed indexes that the Federal Government prepared for the 1790,
1810, 1820, 1880, and 1890 censuses.
The Government Printing Office published and indexed the 1790 schedules of 11
States, along with Virginia data that was reconstructed from state enumerations
from 1782 to 1785 and was intended to replace the missing 1790 schedules. National
Archives Microfilm Publication T498, First Census of the United States, 1790,
reproduces these works, which are also commercially reprinted. List of Free
Black Heads of Families in the First Census, 1790, Special List 34, compiled
by Debra L. Newman (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Service, rev.
1974), indexes names of free black heads of families nationwide. The 1840 census
of Revolutionary War pensioners is reproduced on roll 3 of T498.
Index to the 1810 Census Schedules for Virginia (T1019)
alphabetizes names, references counties, and notes volume, page,
and line numbers of the schedules. Volume numbers that the index
notes appear within the microfilm rolls, not in this catalog.
Compilation of Tennessee Census Reports, 1820, National Archives
Microfilm Publication T911, includes alphabetized indexes, partly
transcribed data, and copies of an original 1820 schedule.
Index to the Eleventh Census of the United States (M496) indexes
the remaining 1890 population schedules. Roll 1 covers
alphabetized surnames from A through J; roll 2, from K through Z.
After the surname, the given or middle names and also initials
are alphabetized. The numbers on the right-hand side for the
cards refer to those stamped on the schedules.
The Soundex Coding System
The Soundex is a coded surname (last name) index based on the way
a surname sounds rather than the way it is spelled. Surnames that
sound the same, but are spelled differently, like SMITH and
SMYTH, have the same code and are filed together. The Soundex
coding system was developed to find a surname even though it may
have been recorded under various spellings. Every Soundex code
consists of a letter and three numbers, such as W252. The letter
is always the first letter of the surname whether it is a
consonant or a vowel. The numbers are assigned to the remaining
consonants of the surname according to the Soundex guide.
NARA's Soundex Machine can code your family's surname
automatically.
Disregard the remaining vowels (A, E, I, O, and U) as well as W,
Y, and H. Assign numbers to the next three consonants of the
surname according to the coding guide included in table 1.
Disregard any remaining consonants. If there are not three
consonants following the initial letter, use zeroes to complete
the three-digit code. For example, Lee is coded L000; Jones is
coded J520; Western is coded W236; and Tymczak is coded T522
representing T, M, C, and K. The names are arranged by the
Soundex code and then alphabetically by the first name.
Table 1. Soundex Coding Guide
After retaining the first letter of the surname and disregarding
the next letters if they are A, E, I, O, U, W, Y, and H, then:
The number Represents the letters
1 B, P, F, V
2 C, S, K, G, J, Q, X, Z
3 D, T
4 L
5 M, N
6 R
Prefixes
If the surname has a prefix, such as D', De, dela, Di, du, Le,
van, or Von, code it both with and without the prefix because it
might be listed under either code. The surname vanDevanter, for
example, could be V-531 or D-153. Mc and Mac are not considered
to be prefixes and should be coded like other surnames.
Double Letters
If the surname has any double letters, they should be treated as
one letter. Thus, in the surname Lloyd, the second l should be
crossed out. In the surname Gutierrez, the second r should be
disregarded.
Side-By-Side Letters
A surname may have different side-by-side letters that receive
the same number on the Soundex coding guide. For example, the c,
k, s in Jackson all receive a number 2 code. These letters with
the same code should be treated as only one letter. In the name
Jackson, the k and s should be disregarded. This rule also
applies to the first letter of a surname, even though it is not
coded. For example, Pf in Pfister would receive a number 1 code
for both the P and f. Thus in this name the letter f should be
crossed out, and the code is P-236.
American Indian and Asian Names
A phonetically spelled American Indian or Asian name was
sometimes coded as if it were one name. If a distinguishable
surname was given, the name may have been coded in the regular
manner. For example, Dances with Wolves might have been coded as
Dances (D-522) or as Wolves (W-412), or the name Shinka-Wa-Sa may
have been coded as Shinka (S-520) or Sa (S-000).
Soundex Cards
The Soundex microfilm rolls for the 1880 census include four
different kinds of cards: Family Cards, Other Members of
Family Continued Cards, Individual Cards, and Institution Cards.
Below the coded surname at the top left of the card, the surname
and then first name of the head of the family ordinarily appear
as recorded on the schedule. The list at the end of this
introduction, Abbreviations and Terms Used in Soundex Cards, is
applicable to the 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 Soundexes. It can
help researchers determine the relationships of persons to the
head of the family. The most important information to record is:
State or territory; volume, ED, sheet, and line numbers; county,
city, and MCD.
Other Soundex Cards
Frequently, if families include more than six members, the Family
Card is followed by a related card. For very large families, more
than one of these cards may appear. Handwritten numbers at the
bottom of the cards refer to the first card (e.g., "#2, see #1").
Although the continuation card notes the name of the head of
family and name, relationship, age, and birthplace of the other
family member, this card excludes other personal information such
as color and sex. It also omits most jurisdictional data found on
the Family Card such as the county, city, MCD, and ED.
Some researchers may need to search for a third kind of Soundex
card, an Individual Card. This card contains data only on a child
age 10 or under who (1) had a surname different from the head of
family, or who (2) was not an immediate member of a family (e.g.,
stepson or nephew), or who (3) resided in an institution without
a family. For the first two purposes, the Individual Card
duplicates part of the information on a Family Card; it
cross-references a census schedule. The Individual Card ordinarily is
the only card referencing a particular child. Institution Cards
appear at the end of the last roll of Soundex microfilm for a
state or territory.
The Institution Cards, unlike the three other Soundex cards, are
alphabetically arranged, not Soundex coded, by the first name of
the institution. The first Institution card to appear in roll 168
names an institution whose name began with A Adams County, PA,
Poorhouse. The Institution Cards exclude personal data on
individuals and, at most, may note only the number of
inhabitants.
Institution Cards include jurisdictional data necessary to find
the correct census schedules (e.g., state, county, city, and ED).
Street and house numbers also often appear on the cards. The
cards exclude a printed heading for MCDs, but some indexers
inserted this information on the line for city. Also, the cards
have no caption for line numbers pertinent to the schedules, but
some indexers inserted this information near the line for sheet
number.
Not Reported Data
Occasionally, some people gave the enumerator only a surname,
without any given or middle name, or the indexer may have found
this information missing or illegible. Under these circumstances,
Not Reported (NR) or a blank can appear on a card after a
surname. Cards with this NR feature appear first within a code.
On census schedules, after the surname, some enumerators may have
recorded only initials for a person or an initial before the
middle name. Such cards are arranged alphabetically and may
appear after those with the NR-first name. They ordinarily
precede cards with full names bearing the same first letter.
The indexers may also have encountered an NR surname, with or
without a given name and initials. Cards with an NR surname for
the head of family are on the last Soundex roll for a state or
territory, usually before the Institution Cards. Roll 34 of
California's Soundex (T737) states "Not Reported thru
Institutions," but most roll listings in this catalog do not
reference this feature.
The NR-surname cards may include enough personal information such
as color, sex, age, street, and house number to identify a
person. Some cards also list members of the family or household
by surname and may include an indexer's remarks about possible
relationships.
Mixed Codes
"Mixed codes" means that codes on the cards may appear in
nonconsecutive order; e.g., M-200 is followed by M-190, M-205,
and then by M-189. In these instances, which divider cards
usually note, researchers should disregard the codes and focus on
the alphabetized given names.
This catalog alphabetically lists the States, District of
Columbia, and territories; references the microfilm rolls at the
far left; and then describes their coverage. The arrangement
first cites the names of counties, which usually are in
alphabetical order. Names of cities often appear separately from
counties. Roll 1188 of the 1880 census schedules (T9), for
example, covers part of the city of Philadelphia. Within cities
or large urban areas, MCDs such as wards may be numbered and then
usually listed in consecutive order.
Within counties, cities, or MCDs, EDs are the next most important
data that the catalog notes, often in numerical order. In T9
rolls 1190-1194 pertain to Schuylkill County, EDs 1-238. In many
instances, the catalog notes that rolls include certain sheets
for an ED or other jurisdiction.
Match the county, city, MCD, ED, and sheet number listed on the
Soundex card with the information or range provided in the
catalog.
The 1880 schedule consists of four sides. Enumerators usually
recorded the names of the city, county, and state and the number
or name of the ward or other MCD only on the front of the
schedule. Handwritten ED numbers are on the upper left side, on
the third line.
Next match the sheet number recorded on the Soundex card with the
page number on the first line of the upper left side of the
schedule. The handwritten numbers on the schedules ordinarily
start at 1 in each ED and continue consecutively on each sheet,
A-D. Disregard the stamped numbers usually at the right side of
the schedules.
Enumeration District Descriptions and Maps
Researchers who cannot find a name in Soundex or a commercial
index may want to consult enumeration district (ED) descriptions
and maps.
An ED refers to the area assigned to a single census-taker. ED
descriptions pertinent to the schedules covered by this catalog
are in Descriptions of Census Enumeration Districts, 1830-1890
and 1910-1950 (T1224). Table 2, ED Descriptions, 1830-90, in
T1224, explains coverage of the 17 rolls pertinent to this
catalog. An overview of these aids appears in Bruce Carpenter,
"Using Soundex Alternatives: Enumeration Districts, 1880-1920,"
Prologue: Quarterly of the National Archives 25 (Spring 1993):
90-93. A case study on the approach appears in Keith R.
Schlesinger, "An Urban Finding Aid for the Federal Census," in
Our Family, Our Town: Essays on Family and Local History Sources
in the National Archives, comp. Timothy Walch (Washington, DC:
National Archives and Records Administration, 1987), pp. 126-140.
Table 2. ED Descriptions, 1830-90, in T1224.
An asterisk (*) notes alphabetized
states and territories.
Census Year |
Roll Number |
Remarks |
1830-40 |
1 |
Arranged by region |
1850-60 * |
2 |
No 1850 data for Oregon Territory |
1870 |
3 |
No data for Montana Territory but
separate category for "Indians All
States" |
1880 * |
4-6 |
No data for Alabama, Arizona Territory
Arkansas, California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Montana Territory,
Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and
Wisconsin. Roll 4, DK-KY; roll 5, LA-MO;
and roll 6, NB-WY. |
1890 * |
7-17 |
Roll 7, AL-DE; roll 8, DC-IL; roll 9,
IN-KS; roll 10, KY-MD; roll 11, MA-MN;
roll 12, MS-NM; roll 13, NY; roll 14,
NC-OR; roll 15, PA; roll 16, RI-TX;
roll 17, UT-WY. |
The title of T1224 contains a misnomer because EDs, strictly
defined, were not used until the 1880 census. The early censuses
used the term subdivision to refer to part of a supervisor's or
marshal's division or district. Subdivisions in the early
censuses comprised towns, townships, or other units comparable to
MCDs.
Researchers must determine the state or territory and try to
identify the county. Descriptions found in T1224 may help narrow
the search by specifying what county certain localities
(including MCDs, neighborhoods, or post offices) were in during
certain census years.
The descriptions note street names or ranges and specify the
corresponding EDs. Most early ED descriptions, however, are
general and largely served as documentation of the names of
enumerators and rates of pay. They may simply state that a census
taker had to enumerate an entire county or an unspecified part of
a subdivision. Beginning with 1850, the ED descriptions became
increasingly detailed.
To use ED descriptions in T1224, a researcher should try to
determine the location of a family, person, or institution in a
certain census year. Especially for the late 1800s, death and
birth certificates, city directories, tax records, or other
sources may provide this information. The National Archives,
though, has few of these records, which usually may be found in
state or local repositories. The same research steps can help
researchers find the 1890-1920 schedules, but most ED numbers
changed for each census.
Maps can complement ED descriptions or provide substitutes for
them. The National Archives does not have ED descriptions or ED
maps for censuses from 1790 through 1820, therefore commercially
or privately published maps are especially helpful and practical.
Many commercial indexes for censuses include maps for a
particular year and state. William Thorndale and William
Dollarhide, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Census, 1790-1920
(Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1992) is especially
useful in identifying counties and many localities in existence
in early census years.
While the National Archives research rooms have some maps that
can help researchers, the agency's Cartographic and Architectural
Branch has some specially marked ED ("office copy") maps. They
show streets, locations, or neighborhoods within cities and
specify the ED.
Cartographic Records of the Bureau of the Census, Preliminary
Inventory (PI) 103 (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records
Service, 1958) discusses ED maps available in the National
Archives. The appendix to PI 103 lists the maps by alphabetizing
the names of states, specifying counties or other localities, and
noting availability for the years 1880-1940. The National
Archives has no pre-1880 ED maps, and maps for the 1880 census
exist for only Washington, DC; Rockwall County, TX; and Atlanta
in Fulton County, GA.
Only 11 ED maps exist for the 1890 census, and only one pertains
to the remaining schedules. The exception is the map of
Washington, DC, which shows part of the area to which a few
schedules pertain; but this map is far less helpful than M496,
the alphabetical index, in locating these schedules.
To order copies of ED maps, write to the Cartographic and
Architectural Branch (NWDNC), National Archives at College Park,
8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001. Prices vary with
the map size. Even full-scale maps, though, may be difficult to
read, especially because black-and-white copies may obscure
colored ED boundaries.
Other Schedules
While this catalog focuses on decennial population schedules, the
National Archives has custody of numerous other Federal census
records that can supplement and enrich genealogical projects and
other research. Many of these records are microfilmed and can be
purchased.
The Government occasionally conducted territorial and special censuses in interdecennial
periods.
The 1885 special census enumerated Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota,
and South Dakota. The Government also used many special or supplemental schedules
to collect nonpopulation data, which mostly concern manufacturing, agriculture,
social statistics, and mortality (causes of death) in the year before the decennial
census. The 1880 census, for example, included 4 supplemental schedules as well
as 12 special manufacturing schedules and 7 schedules involving the defective,
dependent, and delinquent classes.
Indians
Census enumerators did not count Indians not taxed, that is,
Indians who lived on reservations or who roamed as nomads over
unsettled tracts of land. Whether or not they were of mixed
blood, Indians who had severed their tribal affiliations and
lived among the general population or on the outskirts of towns,
were counted as part of the ordinary population. Before 1870,
however, there is seldom a way to identify such Indians in the
census. Schedules of a Special Census of Indians, 1880 (M1791)
reproduces a special 1880 enumeration of Indians living near
military installations in Washington, Dakota Territories, and
California. All other Indians should be enumerated in the state,
county, or locality where they resided. Not until 1890 did the
decennial census schedules enumerate the Indian population with
any accuracy.
The records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs include many tribal
census rolls, which are completely unrelated to the decennial
census schedules. These are described in chapter 11 of
Genealogical Research in the National Archives.
Blacks
The first listing of all blacks by name in a Federal census was
made in 1870, the first Federal census taken after the Civil War
and the abolition of slavery. In 1850 and 1860, slave statistics
were gathered, but the census schedules did not list slaves by
name; they were tallied unnamed in age and sex categories. These
slave schedules are useful, however as circumstantial evidence
that a slave of a certain age and sex was the property of a
particular owner in 1850 or 1860.
Free blacks who were heads of households were enumerated by name
in the censuses from 1790 to 1840, and the names of all free
household members were included in the censuses of 1850 and 1860.
For more information see Genealogical Research in the National
Archives, section 12.2, Census Records, page 173.
Research Hints
The following tips may be useful:
The 1810 census includes some schedules or fragments dealing with that year's
census of manufactures. For coverage, see PI 161, appendix IX.
Some transcribed data on the 1820 census of manufactures appears
in T911, Compilation of Tennessee Census Reports, 1820.
In some cities, the Government conducted second enumerations
because of questions about the accuracy of the first. Researchers
should determine whether or not two microfilm rolls copy schedules
for the same area. For example, rolls 975 and 1014 of M593,
Ninth Census of the United States, 1870, copy schedules for
New York City, ward 1.
A fire destroyed most of the 1870 Minnesota schedules. M593,
rolls 716-719, copies the remaining Federal schedules, while T132
reproduces the State copy. T132 also is noteworthy because it
includes some mortality schedules interfiled with the population
schedules.
Resources
Useful Publications
Details on many of these records appear in Guide to Genealogical Research
in the National Archives, chapter 1. Table 4 of the Guide (pp. 14-16) identifies
most of the microfilm publications for the mortality schedules; section 1.3
of chapter 1 (pp. 28-38) discusses each state's special census schedules and
problems. National Archives Microfilm Resources for Research: A Comprehensive
Catalog (pp. 11-12) [search
this catalog online] notes other nonpopulation and territorial censuses
as well as special aids and Bureau of the Census publications.
Numerous details on little-known census records, including
unmicrofilmed records, also appear in Records of the Bureau of
the Census, PI 161 (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records
Service, 1964). This free work is available from National
Archives Product Sales Section (NWPS). See ordering information
that follows. Researchers interested in unmicrofilmed records
covered by PI 161 or in other census-related topics may write to
the Textual Reference Branch (NWDT1-C), National Archives and
Records Administration, Washington, DC 20408.
Free literature includes Aids for Genealogical Research which
describes microfilm catalogs, such as the 1900 Federal Population
Census, The 1910 Federal Population Census, and The 1920 Federal
Population Census.
Other free literature includes Using Records in the National
Archives for Genealogical Research, General Information Leaflet
(GIL) No. 5; Military Service Records in the National Archives of
the United States, GIL No. 7; Information about the National
Archives for Prospective Researchers, GIL No. 30; The Regional
Archives System of the National Archives, GIL No. 22; Fast Facts
About the 1920 Census, GIL No. 43, which explains the most
current publicly released decennial census; and Select List of
Publications of the National Archives and Records Administration,
GIL 3, which covers many additional free works such as
preliminary inventories and reference information papers. GIL No.
5 is also important because it includes guidance on how to
formally cite microfilmed census records.
Genealogy Section of the NARA web site
Census Availability and Access
Microfilmed copies of census records are available at the
National Archives Building in Washington, DC, at NARA's 13
regional records services facilities, and at many large libraries
and genealogical societies that have purchased all or some of the
microfilm. The public can also request mail-order paper copies of
census schedules, rent the microfilm, or purchase microfilm
rolls.
Ordering Paper Copies by Mail
The National Archives in Washington, DC, can provide paper copies of specifically
identified pages of Federal population census schedules through the mail. To
receive this photocopying service, use
Order Online! or the
NATF
Form 82 (rev. 1992), Order for Copies of Census Records, and provide the
following information:
- the name of the individual
- the page number
- census year
- state, and county
Researchers may request copies of NATF Form 82 online or by writing
to the:
Textual Reference Branch (NWDT1-C),
National Archives and Records Administration,
Washington, DC 20408.
For the 1880 through 1920 censuses, the enumeration district
is also necessary. Ordinarily, it is possible to use a Government or privately
printed census index to locate this information.
National Archives Microfilm Rental Program
The National Archives Microfilm Rental Program offers microfilm
of Federal population schedules from 1790 through 1930 and
Soundexes from 1880 through 1930. The program also rents
microfilm of American Revolutionary War military service records
and indexes, pension files, and bounty-land warrant files. For a
free brochure that describes the program, write or call National
Archives Microfilm Rental Program, P.O. Box 30, Annapolis
Junction, MD 20701-0030, 301-604-3699.
Buying the Microfilm
Microfilm copies of census records are also available for
purchase. The schedules are on 35mm microfilm; the Soundex is on
16mm. Schedules for an entire county or enumeration district may
be on one or more rolls of microfilm.
All microfilm publications of National Archives records are for sale. Individual
rolls or a complete set (all rolls) are for sale. The current prices for silver-halide
positive film copies are $34 a roll for domestic orders and $39 for foreign
orders, shipping is included. These prices are subject to change without advance
notice. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the "National
Archives Trust Fund (NATF)." VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover
are also accepted. Credit card orders must include the expiration date and the
cardholder's signature. Do NOT send cash. Federal, state, and local government
agencies only may purchase microfilm on an accounts-receivable basis, but they
must submit a signed purchase order within 10 working days of placing an order.
U.S. Treasury regulations require a minimum amount of $25 for foreign checks.
To order microfilm, write to:
National Archives Trust Fund (NATF)
P.O. Box 100793
Atlanta, GA 30384-0793
When ordering microfilm, please state the microfilm publication
number and specific roll numbers.
Check the order immediately upon receipt for errors, completeness, or damage
in shipping. Notify the Product Sales Section of any problems within 60 days.
Do not return microfilm orders without written permission from the Product Sales
Section. For more information on how to order or for help identifying which
rolls of a publication you may wish to purchase, contact
National Archives Product Sales Section (NWPS)
Room G7, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20408
T elephone: 202-501-7190 or 1-800-234-8861 -- fax: 202-501-7170
Include the census year, the state, and the county or enumeration district.
Copies of National Archives microfilm publications may also be
purchased from Scholarly Resources, Inc., 104 Greenhill
Avenue, Wilmington, DE 19805 (telephone 302-654-7713 or
fax 302-654-3871). Copies available for sale from other sources
have not been authorized or duplicated by the National Archives
and may be one or more generations removed from the master negative,
and therefore are of poorer quality and legibility.
Select Bibliography
In addition to the works mentioned in this introduction, most of
which are described in Aids for Genealogical Research, the
following literature includes chapters or information that may
help with census research. Bibliographies in the commercial works
refer to additional helpful sources. Also, the National Archives
sells many commercial works not listed here that explain census
research. An asterisk (*) below notes two National Archives works
that are out of print, but researchers may examine copies in the
National Archives library.
Delle Donne, Carmen R. Federal Census Schedules, 1850-1880: Primary Sources
for Historical Research. Reference Information Paper 67. National Archives
and Records Service, 1973. *
Eakle, Arlene and Johni Cerny, eds. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy.
Salt Lake City: Ancestry Inc., 1984.
Federal Population and Mortality Census Schedules, 1790-1910, in the
National Archives and the States: Outline of a Lecture on Their Availability,
Content and Use. Special List 24. National Archives and Records Service, rev.
1986.
Fishbein, Meyer H. The Censuses of Manufactures, 1810-1890. Reference
Information Paper 50. National Archives and Records Service, 1973. *
Greene, Evarts B. and Virginia D. Harrington. American Population Before
the Federal Census of 1790. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.,
reprint 1993.
Greenwood, Val D. The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy.
2d ed. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., 1990.
Guide to the Federal Records in the National Archives of the
United States. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records
Administration, 3 vols., 1995.
Lainhart, Ann S. State Census Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing
Company, Inc., 1992.
Publications of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-1916. National Archives
Microfilm Publication T825 (42 rolls).
Szucs, Loretto Dennis and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking. The Archives: A Guide
to the National Archives Field Branches. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc.
1988.
Wright, Carroll D. and William C. Hunt. The History and Growth of the United
States Census. 56th Cong., 1st sess. S. Doc. 194. Serial 3856. (A commercial
reprint is available.)
Regional Records Services Facilities
For current information about hours of operation, please call the appropriate
regional records services facility.
Reference Services
National Archives and Records Administration
700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20840-0001
Phone: 202-501-5400
E-mail: Contact NARA
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Areas Served: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island,
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E-mail: archives@pittsfield.nara.gov
(no accessioned records, only microfilm relating to genealogy)
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Abbreviations and Terms Used in Soundex Cards
A Aunt
Ad Adopted
AdCl Adopted child
AdD Adopted daughter
AdGcl Adopted grandchild
AdM Adopted mother
AdS Adopted son
Al Aunt-in-law
Ap Apprentice
Asst Assistant
At Attendant
B Brother
Bar Bartender
BBoy Bound boy
BGirl Bound girl
Bl Brother-in-law
Bo Boarder
Boy Boy
Bu Butler
C Cousin
Cap Captain
Cha Chamber Maid
Cil Cousin-in-law
Cl Child
Coa Coachman
Com Companion
Cook Cook
D Daughter
Dl Daughter-in-law
Dla Day laborer
Dom Domestic
Dw Dishwasher
Emp Employee
En Engineer
F Father
FaH Farm hand
FaL Farm laborer
FaW Farm worker
FB Foster brother
FF Foster father
Fi Fireman
FirstC First cousin
FL Father-in-law
FM Foster mother
FoB Foster brother
FoS Foster son
FoSi Foster sister
GA Great aunt
Gcl Grandchild
GD Granddaughter
GF Grandfather
GGF Great-grandfather
GGGF Great-great-grandfather
GGGM Great-great-grandmother
GGM Great-grandmother
GM Grandmother
Gml Grandmother-in-law
GN Grand or great nephew
GNi Grand or great niece
Go Governess
GodCl God child
GS Grandson
Gsl Grand son-in-law
GU Great uncle
Gua Guardian
Guest Guest
Hb Half brother
Hbl Half brother-in-law
He Herder
Help Help
H.Gi Hired girl
Hh Hired hand
Hk Housekeeper
Hlg Hireling
Hm Hired man
HMaid Housemaid
HSi Half sister
HSil Half sister-in-law
Husband Husband
Hw Houseworker
I Inmate
L Lodger
La Laborer
Lau Launderer
M Mother
Maid Maid
Man Manager
Mat Matron
ML Mother-in-law
N Nephew
Ni Niece
Nil Niece-in-law
Nl Nephew-in-law
Nu Nurse
O Officer
P Patient
Pa Partner
Ph Physician
Por Porter
Pr Prisoner
Pri Principal
Prv Private
Pu Pupil
R Roomer
S Son
Sa Sailor
Sal Saleslady
Sb Stepbrother
Sbl Step brother-in-law
Scl Step child
Sd Stepdaugther
Sdl Step daughter-in-law
Se Servant
Se.Cl Servant's child
Sf Stepfather
Sfl Step father-in-law
Sgd Step granddaughter
Sgs Step grandson
Si Sister
Sl Son-in-law
Sm Stepmother
Sml Step mother-in-law
Ss Stepson
Ssi Stepsister
Ssil Step sister-in-law
Ssl Step son-in-law
Su Superintendant
Ten Tenant
U Uncle
Ul Uncle-in-law
Vi Visitor
W Wife
Wa Warden
Wai Waitress
Ward Ward
Wkm Workman
Wt Waiter
National Archives Trust Fund Board
National Archives and Records Administration
Washington, DC
1997
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