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The
1830 census was begun on 1 June 1830. The enumeration
was to be completed within six months but was extended
to allow completion within twelve months.
Questions Asked in the 1830 Census
Name of head of household; number of free white males
and females in age categories 0 to 5, 5 to 10, 10 to
15, 15 to 20, 20 to 30, 30 to 40, 40 to 50, 50 to 60,
60 to 70, 70 to 80, 80 to 90, 90 to 100, over 100; number
of slaves and free “colored” persons in
age categories; categories for deaf, dumb, and blind
persons and aliens; town or district; and county of
residence.
Other Significant Facts about the 1830 Census
The 1830 census was the first for which the government
provided uniform, printed forms to enumerators for the
purpose of recording answers to census questions.
Research Tips For the 1830 Census
The 1830 census records are useful in identifying the
locality to be searched for other types of records for
a named individual. The 1830 census will, in most cases,
help distinguish the target family from others of the
same name; help to determine family size; locate possible
relatives with the same name; identify immediate neighbors
who may be related; identify slaveholders; and spot
spelling variations of surnames. Free men “of
color” are listed as heads of household by name.
Slaves appear in age groupings by name of owner. By
combining those age groupings with probate inventories
and tax list data, it is sometimes possible to determine
names of other family members and the birth order of
those individuals.
The 1830 census went a step further in breaking down
ages, thus allowing more precise knowledge of the household
configuration. With the age categories expanded to include
those one hundred years and older, it is possible to
have a better idea of life spans during that time period.
The addition of information regarding those who were
deaf, dumb, and blind is an indication that there may
be related guardianship or institutional records. The
presence of aliens in a household suggests the possibility
that those individuals may eventually have been naturalized
in a nearby court.
For a state-by-state listing of census schedules, see
The 1790–1890 Federal Population Censuses: Catalog
of National Archives Microfilm (Washington, D.C.: National
Archives Trust Fund Board, 1993). For boundary changes
and identification of missing census schedules, see
William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Map Guide
to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790–1920.
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The information above is an excerpt from The Source:
A Guidebook of American Genealogy, edited by Loretto
D. Szucs and Sandra H. Luebking, Chapter 5, “Research
in Census Records,” by Loretto D. Szucs (page
113).
Note: Ancestry.com has made a database of AIS Census
Indexes available to site subscribers at: http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/census/ais/main.htm
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