You will most likely be looking at the newly released US Census by the time you read this. The release will be in its infancy, so it won’t be thoroughly indexed, and there may be bugs to work out. But you’ll be closer to better understanding your family’s life in 1950s America.

Every census reveal is an exciting event in the genealogy world. Those waiting for the 1921 UK Census that was recently released know the feeling. I remember when the 1930 US census came out and all of the celebration, indexing, and overall sense of discovery (heck, I think I even have a t-shirt commemorating it). 

And lucky for us, there is a vibrant genealogy education community that has provided us with articles, lectures, and videos with information to conduct better searches on the 1950 census as we prepare for the release. Legacy Webinars has also helped us prepare with webinars like this one from Dear Myrtle and Russ Worthington and an upcoming webinar by Lisa Louise Cooke.

But this isn’t going to be another one of those 1950 census articles. 

Instead, I want you to think about something along the lines of “I’ve looked at the census, now what?” For most researchers, you already know that you will find a family member in the 1950 census. You probably created that list months before the release date. Yes, there are probably some who aren’t sure if the family member had died and looking to the census to verify an absence, but for the most part, you know who you are looking for and expect to find them.

Once you find your family, you will note the information, save the census to your computer and/or family tree. 

Now what?

What will you do next? Is our census search just about finding people on the census, recording them, and then moving on to the next record?

Once you found your family in 1950, what will you do next? The answer should be “analyze and build on what I've found.”

Next Steps

How do we do that? It starts with transcribing the information and using the enumerator instructions to understand our ancestor’s answers. One problem with the 1950 Census is we won’t know who answered those questions, so we can’t determine how accurate the information is.

Once we have transcribed and studied the answers in conjunction with the enumerator’s instructions, we need to ask ourselves what these census answers tell us about our ancestors and what other records help complete this picture of their lives.

Ask research questions and then seek out the answers. Consider what the census tells us beyond a name, age, and race. For example, you might learn of a street address. The street address helps to answer where our ancestors lived, but we may want to know more about that place. What type of home is it? Is it a house or an appointment? Are they institutionalized or at school? We could follow up that address from the census with a look in our family photo collections for that house or a historical map (even the enumeration district map). We might want to look up that address today and see if a photo or description of the house exists online (if a house, maybe it’s on a real estate website) or Google Maps.

We need to look at our family in the census and verify we have all the relevant records for them, such as vital records or if they are one of the men asked about military service in the supplemental questions, any relevant military documents. Remember, our families in 1950 have just experienced a world war, and their lives were impacted both at home and on the battlefields.

Once we transcribe, read the enumerator instructions, ask research questions, and gather pertinent documents, we need to write up our findings. Even if the idea of writing makes your eyes cross, write up a simple paragraph stating what the 1950 census tells you about their life during that time. Adding personal photographs and newspaper articles from the 1950s can also help that story.

The release of the 1950 US census is exciting, but don’t let it become another record that is looked at and forgotten on your family tree. Make the most of what it has to tell you about your ancestor in that snapshot in time.

Gena Philibert-Ortega is an author, instructor, and researcher. She blogs at Gena's Genealogy and Food.Family.Ephemera. You can find her presentations on the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.

The recording of today's webinar by The Board for Certification of Genealogists and Denise E. Cross, MSLIS, CG, "They Had Names: Identifying Children Represented by Tick Marks in Pre-1850 Censuses" is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com/BCG for free for a limited time.

Webinar Description

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour and 25 minute recording of "They Had Names: Identifying Children Represented by Tick Marks in Pre-1850 Censuses" is now available to view in our webinar library for free for a limited time. If you have a webinar membership, it is available anytime.

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Census records are one of the most important resources used by American genealogists. They are often the first records accessed when creating your family tree. Let's take a look back at the very first U.S. Census Day on August 2, 1790.

As the United States began organizing itself into an independent nation, it created what it needed for a democratic government.  Its new constitution’s  Article 1 laid out the legislative branch with Section 2 documenting the method for apportioning members of the House of Representatives. A census would help in this endeavor and guidelines for a regular census of the country’s citizens were written that stated,  “the actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.”[1]

In 1790 President George Washington, Vice President John Adams, and Speaker of the House Frederick Muhlenberg authorized
the legislation that created the decennial census in the United States

That framework led to the first decennial census in 1790. Not surprisingly, as the first census conducted by the federal government, it included few guidelines. There were no special forms provided, nor specifications about the size or type of paper to use. The assistant marshals assigned with the task of enumeration were given little guidance into how to collect the data. Although the census ended up having only six questions there was some argument for it to include even more questions for individuals such as their occupation in an effort to gather information for potential needs the young democracy might have such as soldiers for a military. However, not everyone was convinced that collecting additional data was necessary. In particular, James Madison was against more detailed information and dismissed it as “a waste of trouble and supplying materials for idle people to make a book.”[2]

In the end, the 1790 census would collect information that was more statistical. The only reason the head of the household’s name was included in the enumeration count was for organizational purposes. Information collected for each household consisted of the number of:

• Free White males of 16 years and upward (to assess the country's industrial and military potential)
• Free White males under 16 years
• Free White females
• All other free persons
• Slaves[3]

This census was to be taken in the “original 13 States, plus the districts of Kentucky, Maine, and Vermont, and the Southwest Territory (Tennessee).”[4] Instructions to the enumerators were just 3 pages long and provided general information about the duties in taking an accurate census, fines for making false returns, and payments for enumerating. They were instructed that “the enumeration shall commence on the first Monday in August and shall close within nine calendar months thereafter.”

Other  instructions included who was to be enumerated:

That the marshals of the several districts of the United States shall be, and they are hereby authorized and required to cause the number of the inhabitants within their respective districts to be taken; omitting in such enumeration Indians not taxed, and distinguishing free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, from all others; distinguishing also the sexes and colours of free persons, and the free males of sixteen years and upwards from those under that age[5]

That first census took 18 months to complete and counted 3.9 million people, a number that President George Washington thought too low but it was good enough for “congress to take its first census apportionment."[6]

You can read more about the history of that first census in History and Growth of the United States Census: 1790-1890 and other reports available from the US Census Bureau website.

Have your found your ancestors in the 1790 U.S. Federal Census? Do you think it's a worthwhile census to include in your research?

Learn more about using census records in your research with these Legacy classes.

[1] Anderson, Margo J. The American Census: A Social History. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988, p. 9.

[2] Ibid, p. 14.

[3] “1790 Overview,” US Census Bureau (https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/overview/1790.html: accessed 23 July 2019).

[4] Ibid.

[5] “1790 Instructions,” US Census Bureau (https://www.census.gov/history/pdf/1790instructions.pdf: accessed 24 July 2019).

[6] Anderson, Margo J. The American Census: A Social History. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988, p. 14

Gena Philibert-Ortega is an author, instructor, and researcher. She blogs at Gena's Genealogy and Food.Family.Ephemera. You can find her presentations on the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website.

The recording of today's webinar, "Censuses Around the World: What You Need to Know About Census Collections and Genealogy” by Mike Mansfield is now available to view at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com for free for a limited time.

Webinar Description

If you could not make it to the live event or just want to watch it again, the 1 hour 25 minute recording of "Censuses Around the World: What You Need to Know About Census Collections and Genealogy" is now available to view in our webinar library for free for a limited time. 

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• 5% off all products at www.FamilyTreeWebinars.com (must be logged in at checkout)
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• Chance for a members-only door prize during each live webinar
• Access to register for bonus members-only webinars
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Click here to subscribe.

Register for our upcoming webinars (free)

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See you online!

Every Friday we're pleased to offer Legacy Family Tree Webinar subscribers a new bonus webinar just for them!   This Friday enjoy "Secrets of the US Federal Census – How Did Enumeration Really Work?" by Thomas MacEntee. If you're not a member, remember the webinar previews are always free.

Secrets of the US Federal Census – How Did Enumeration Really Work?

Every US Federal Census had its procedures as well as its quirks. Do you know how to tell who was the “informant” in the 1930 or 1940 US Census? Do you know how to access the instructions given to enumerators for each census? Do you know what all the different “codes” mean? Do you know what happened to the population schedules once they were submitted by the enumerator? Learn the fascinating journey of US census data from the census planning phase to the final tabulation. 

About the Presenter

What happens when a “tech guy” with a love for history gets laid off during The Great Recession of 2008? You get Thomas MacEntee, a genealogy professional based in the United States who is also a blogger, educator, author, social media connector, online community builder and more.

 

Thomas was laid off after a 25-year career in the information technology field, so he started his own genealogy-related business called High Definition Genealogy. Currently Thomas shares many of his articles and videos for free at Abundant Genealogy and also runs the popular Genealogy Bargains and DNA Bargains websites!

 

Thomas describes himself as a lifelong learner with a background in a multitude of topics who has finally figured out what he does best: teach, inspire, instigate, and serve as a curator and go-to-guy for concept nurturing and inspiration. Thomas is a big believer in success, and that we all succeed when we help each other find success. 

See all the webinars by Thomas MacEntee in the Legacy library.

 

Not a member yet?

Census  records are some of the first genealogy records  researchers use to begin tracing their ancestors. Tracking an ancestor through the years and generations is exciting and often yields quick results. Once we find an ancestor on one census record, we tend to proceed quickly to the next census record and the next.

Eventually, we can go no further in our census research and are left to wonder - "Now what?"

In our excitement of discovering our ancestors,  we miss vital clues in the census records leading to other helpful records.

3 Tips to Fine Tune Your Census Research

The examples in these tips are based on U. S. census research. However, the tips themselves are applicable to all census research regardless of the country.

Tip #1 - Read and make note of information under every column heading.

Each census recorded different information. Later census records can contain quite a bit of detail on our ancestors. Beyond an individual's name, age or birth date make note of things such as:

• Is a land value listed?  If so, this indicates your ancestor owned land.  Pursue land records for your ancestor. 
  
  
  

  1870 US Census (Source: Ancestry.com)
• Is the indicated marriage a second marriage? If so, expand your research for previous marriages. Typically, a first or second marriage is not indicated, but I have found enough instances in my personal genealogy research to make sure I check.
• Is an individual's occupation listed? Knowing an ancestor was a factory worker can differentiate him from someone of the same name who was a photographer in other records. 

Tip #2 - Study the individual household and determine if the information recorded in the census makes sense. 

• Consider a family with a husband, wife and four children. Look carefully at the ages/birth dates and the marriage date (if provided). Are the ages of each child appropriate to be the children of the wife listed? Or do the ages of some of the children pre-date the couple's marriage date?  This could indicate the named wife is a second wife and a need for further research into the marriage records is warranted.
• Do all of the individuals in the household have the same surname? If not, consider the question "Why not?." Research into each of the individuals to determine the relationship to the head of the household is warranted. Clearly defining the individuals in the household can potentially reveal collateral ancestors important to your future research.

Tip #3 - Use that census records to learn more about your ancestor's community.

To break down genealogy brick walls and progress our research, genealogy researchers must  understand the community where our ancestors lived. 

• Once you find your ancestor in the census, read the census record 4-5 pages prior to the entry and 4-5 pages after the entry. Consider who was living close. Do you recognize the surnames of collateral ancestors or ancestors of the same surname? Take a look at the birth place column. do you see a common migration pattern from a certain state or country?  You could be looking at a group or chain migration of individuals. If so, look into the history of the town or county further to narrow down an area to research.
• The occupation column mentioned above can hold clues to the lives of a community's residents. Is there a "popular" or common occupation among the community's residents? Determine if that occupation created records benefiting your research.  For example, did you ancestor work for the railroad? Check for railroad company records.  
  
  

  Example of a California Railroad Employment Record (Source: Ancestry.com)

Find an in-depth look of the 1910 U.S. census in What Is The 1910 Census Telling You About Your Ancestor?

Spend time in the census records this week.  Take your time. 

What might you have missed in your previous research?

Learn even more from the many census classes in the Legacy Library!

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Lisa Lisson is the writer, educator and genealogy researcher behind Are You My Cousin? and believes researching your genealogy does not have to be overwhelming. All you need is a solid plan, a genealogy toolbox and the knowledge to use those tools. Lisa can be found online at LisaLisson.com , Facebook and Pinterest.