| |
The
1900 census was begun on 1 June 1900. The enumeration
was to be completed within thirty days, or two weeks
for communities with populations of more than ten thousand.
Questions Asked in the 1900 Census
The 1900 population schedules provide the name of each
person in the household; address; relationship to the
head of the household; color or race; sex; month and
year of birth; age at last birthday; marital status;
the number of years married; the total number of children
born of the mother; the number of those children living;
places of birth of each individual and the parents of
each individual; if the individual was foreign born,
the year of immigration and the number of years in the
United States; the citizenship status of foreign-born
individuals over age twenty-one; occupation; whether
the person could read, write, and speak English; whether
the home was owned or rented; whether the home was on
a farm; and whether the home was mortgaged.
Other Significant Facts about the 1900 Census
The 1900 census is the only available census that provides
columns for including the exact month and year of birth
of every person enumerated. Previous censuses, and even
the 1910 and 1920 censuses, include only the ages. The
1900 census is also the only census to include space
to record the number of years couples were married,
the number of children born to the mother, and how many
were still living. This census was also the first to
indicate how long an immigrant had been in the country
and whether naturalized; whether a home or farm was
owned or rented and whether the owned property was free
of mortgage.
Research Tips for the 1900 Census Because the Soundex
index to the 1900 census is regarded as one of the most
inclusive and accurate of the federally created indexes,
it is recommended as a good starting point for beginning
researchers. Most beginning researchers have or are
able to find some knowledge of family names and residences
that will serve as a starting point for searching the
1900 Soundex index. (See “Federal Population Census
Indexes and Finding Aids,” below.) The 1900 census
is an excellent tool for determining dates and places
to search for marriage records, birth records of children,
deaths of children, and the marriages of children not
listed. It is also a means of verifying family traditions,
identifying unknown family members, and linking what
is known to other sources, such as earlier censuses,
naturalization records (especially declarations of intent
to become citizens), school attendance rolls, property
holdings, and employment and occupational records. These
records can help to trace and document ethnic origins,
and identify overseas and shipboard military service.
Note that some Indian schedules are kept at the end
of the schedules for the state instead of the county.
For a state-by-state listing of census schedules, see
The 1900 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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
116).
|
