Historical U.S. Census

Table of contents

• The history of the United States census
• Chronology
• Access to individual census returns
• Access to census data
• Reference

The history of the United States census

• If you want basic information and are not in the library:
  Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses From 1790 to 2000
  
• If you want more detailed information:
  Encyclopedia of the U.S. census. Margo J. Anderson, editor in chief. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2000.
  Social Sci. Ref. Center (SSRC): Ready Ref. HA37.U55 C66 2000
• For a history of the census as both a political and a bureaucratic process:
  The American census: a social history. Margo J. Anderson. New Haven: Yale University Press, c1988.
  Firestone HA37.U55 A53 1988

Chronology

Access to individual census returns

To find census records for individuals, use Ancestry Library or HeritageQuest. Both include images of the actual returns, and can be searched by name.

The Census Bureau does not release information about individuals to the public until after 72 years, to protect the confidentiality of the information. So, the most recent decennial census for which the individual returns are available is 1930. See also Availability of Census Records About Individuals. Up to 1960 the census taker filled out the information for each household. From 1960 onwards, the forms were mailed to households in advance, and then either collected by the census-taker or mailed back to the Census Bureau.

The surviving original census forms were microfilmed in the 1940s. The originals were then given to state archives or destroyed. The scanned images in Ancestry Library and HeritageQuest were created from the microfilms.

http://www.ancestrylibrary.com/search/rectype/census/usfedcen/default.aspx includes links to each census and useful information on what information was collected and on whether any of the original documents have been lost. (You will not, for example, find original census records for New Jersey for 1790, and only fragmentary information survives from the 1890 census.)

[Note: Ancestry Library contains most of the material on ancestry.com., which is available only to individuals by subscription.]

Access to census data

• Selected Historical Decennial Census Population and Housing Counts Bureau of the Census http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/hiscendata.html
  Provides links to online versions of selected historical reports. Reports are available in different formats (PDF, TXT and HTML) but no multiple copies of reports.
• Current Population Reports and Other Population Reports Index Ohio State University Libraries Government Documents http://library.osu.edu/sites/reference/govdocs/CPR/CPRindex.php
  Provides a convenient listing of Current Population Reports back to 1947, based on the Subject Index to Current Population Reports and Other Population Report Series with links to current reports available online and scanned versions of many older reports.
• Historical Census Browser, 1790-1960 University of Virginia and ICPSR http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/census/
  Provides selected national, state, and county statistics through a user-friendly forms interface. Earliest censuses include total population, age, sex, free or slave. Beginning with 1840 additional details for occupation, education, churches, mortality, and wealth are available.
• Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) University of Minnesota http://www.ipums.umn.edu/
  Provides access to PUMS data of the Decennial Census for 1850-1990. Data can be downloaded in compressed format, and recoding permits users to compare various years.
• Historical Statistics on the Foreign Born Population of the United States: 1850-1990 Bureau of the Census http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0029/twps0029.html
  Tables include country of birth, mother tongue, race, age and sex at the national level. Also provides nativity data (foreign or native born) for metropolitan areas, counties, and 50 large urban areas.
• Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790-1990 Bureau of the Census http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0027.html
  Cities ranked by population size, beginning with 24 urban areas in 1790 up to 100 areas in 1990.
• ICPSR http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/
  Provides raw data files for manipulation and analysis. Browse from http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/ICPSR/access/subject.html, Census Enumerations: Historical and Contemporary Population Characteristics.

Reference

• American population before the federal census of 1790. Evarts B. Greene and Virginia D. Harrington. New York, Columbia University Press, 1932.
  Social Science Reference Center (SSRC) HB3505.G83
• Factfinder for the Nation: Statistics on Race and Ethnicity. Washington, D.C.: Bureau of the Census, 1991. C 3.252:1/4
  (SSRC DOCS)
• Dubester’s U.S. census bibliography with SuDocs class numbers and indexes. Kevin L. Cook. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1996.
  Social Sci. Ref. Cen. (SSRC): Decennial Census. Z7553.C3 C66 1996
• State censuses; an annotated bibliography of censuses of population taken after the year 1790 by States and Territories of the United States. Prepared by Henry J. Dubester. Washington, D.C., U.S. Govt. Print. Off. [1948]
  Social Science Reference Center (SSRC). Z7554.U5 U63 1948
• State census records. Ann S. Lainhart. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1992.
  Social Sci. Ref. Center (SSRC): Ready Ref. Z5313.U5 L37 1992

Thanks to Ann Gray and John Hernandez, whose earlier guide on this topic was the inspiration and source for this guide.