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1850 census was begun on 1 June 1850. The enumeration
was to be completed within five months.
Questions Asked in the 1850 Census
Name; age; sex; color; territory or country of birth;
whether the person attended school or was married within
the year; whether the person could read or write if
over age twenty; whether the person was deaf-mute, blind,
insane, or “idiotic”; whether or not a fugitive
from the state; and real estate value. The census also
asked the occupation of males over age fifteen.
Separate slave schedules for 1850 asked the name of
each slave owner, the number of slaves owned, and the
number of slaves manumitted (released from slavery).
While the schedules, unfortunately, do not name individual
slaves, they asked the age, color, sex, and whether
or not slaves were deaf-mute, blind, insane, or idiotic;
and whether or not a fugitive from the state.
Other Significant Facts about the 1850 Census
The 1850 census is frequently referred to as the first
modern census because of dramatically improved techniques
employed for it and repeated in later years. Printed
instructions to the enumerators account for a greater
degree of accuracy compared with earlier censuses. The
instructions explained the responsibilities of enumerators,
census procedures, the manner of completing the schedules,
and the intent behind census questions. “In the
1850 census and thereafter, enumerators were required
by law to make their count by personal inquiry at every
dwelling and with every family, and not otherwise.”
As enumerations of districts were completed, the enumerator
was instructed to make two additional copies: one to
be filed with the clerk of the county court, one to
be sent to the secretary of the state or territory,
and one of the three to be sent to the Census Office
for tabulation.
The census was to show the names of persons who died
after 1 June of the census year and to omit children
born after that date. It should be noted that many of
the census takers did not get around to their assigned
districts until late in 1850; some were as late as October
and November.
The enumeration was to list every person in the United
States except Indians living on government reservations
or living on unsettled tracts of land. Indians not in
tribal relations, whether of mixed blood or not, who
were not living among the white population or on the
outskirts of towns, were counted as part of the taxable
population. The count was designed to determine the
apportioning of representatives among the states.
Research Tips for the 1850 Census
The 1850 schedules included the free population and
slave population and mortality, agriculture, and industry
data. The inclusion of so much personal data for the
first time in the 1850 census is an obvious boon to
genealogists and social historians. For the first time
it is possible to identify families and other groups
by name. The inclusion of birthplaces for every individual
allow for the plotting of migration routes.
Ages provided in the 1850 census allow researchers
to establish dates for searching vital records. While
few states officially recorded vital records that early,
religious and other records may be pursued with estimated
dates of birth gleaned from the census.
The identification of previous residences points to
still other record sources to be searched in named localities.
The indication of real estate ownership would suggest
that land and tax records should be searched. The 1850
census may provide starting information for searching
marriage records, probates, and a number of other genealogically
important records. Probable family relationships may
also be determined through 1850 census records, though
it is easy to come to the wrong conclusions. The 1850
census provides valuable insights into occupations and
property value. It may also make it possible to spot
remarriages and step-relationships and to determine
approximate life spans.
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
114).
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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