Anyone who has ever done more than thirty seconds of family research will tell you the importance of using Census Records. Our newest program offering, Census Records, is a five-part series that reinforces the significance of this resource.
Enumerators originally compiled Census Records, which are population surveys that provide key information about our ancestors, in 1790. From that date, at ten-year intervals until 1840, only the head of household is listed by name, while other household members are listed by age group. Beginning in 1850, everyone in the household is listed by name. But wait, there’s more! Subsequent Census Records provided more information. Need to find out where some relative was born? Check the Census Records. Need to find out the birthplace of their parents? Check the Census Records. How about the year your ancestors arrived in the United States? Ditto.
In fact, there’s a plethora of information in these valuable resources – but there’s a caveat: these records can be prone to errors, and no one record should be used as an absolute source. The quality of the Census Record depended highly upon the enumerator, who occasionally may have misunderstood due to language difficulties, or may have missed one or two family members. Therefore, Census Records should be supplemented with other supporting information like city records.
Og from Roots Television