The United States Constitution requires that a census of the population of the United States be conducted every ten years. This year, the United States Census Bureau will attempt to count every single resident of the United States and collect some basic information about them. This data will be used by the government to allocate Federal funding for things like hospitals, schools, and infrastructure.
Census data is important for other reasons too. Sociologists and other researchers use census data to study the American population. Genealogists can also use census data in their research. Census records can assist in confirming genealogical information and provide additional information about your ancestors.
However, don’t go running for the Census records just yet. There is a 72-year restriction on access to Census records. This means that you will only be able to access information from the 1930 Census and earlier. The information collected by each Census varies. For example, from 1790-1840, only very basic information was collected about the head of each household and the number of persons in each age group that lived with them.
Beginning in 1850, the Census began collecting more detailed information about the individuals that were counted such as their names, ages, dates of immigration, marital status, and even information about what crops they were growing and the value of their property. Not every Census collected all of this information, but the National Archives website has a chart of what information is available for each year, as well as tips for using Census records for genealogical research. I would recommend visiting the National Archives web site if you are at all curious about what Census records can add to your genealogical research.
The National Archives contain many research tools for genealogists in addition to Census records. African Americans that seek information about their ancestors can find information in the records of three post- Civil War Federal agencies in addition to the usual sources, the Census, military, and land records. The data collected by these three agencies, the Commissioners of Claims (Southern Claims Commission), the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company, and the Freedmen’s Bureau can often provide valuable information for family historians seeking to trace their African American ancestors’ transition from slavery to freedom. Since there are resources in the National Archives that provide ethnic heritage information for many different ethnic groups, it is worth looking at the list of available resources in case one of them can help you to break through a barrier in your family history research.