Contributed by Donna Potter Phillips
"The following article if from GRS Monthly Newsletter and is copyright 1998
by GRS.
It is re-published here with permission of the author."
Ready to use the US censuses in your family history research? Do you understand what information is contained in these records, and how to find and use them?Here's a True-or-False quiz to test your knowledge.
1. For genealogy purposes, a census is a population enumeration or counting.
2. The first US census was taken in 1776
3. The census is taken every 10 years because our Constitution says to do so.
4. The first six censuses list only the names of the heads of household.
5. There are no women's names in those first six censuses.
6. The 1850 census was the first to list the entire household by name.
7. It is vital to know how state and county boundaries changed over the years.
8. The Map Guide to US Federal Censuses 1790-1920, addresses the above problem.
9. Packets are available for maps of individual states, as found in the above book.
10. Census records after 1920 are closed for 72 years due to rights of privacy.
11. The 1930 and later censuses, cannot be freely accessed by the public.
12. The 1890 census was destroyed by a fire in Washington, DC
13. All census records from 1790-1920 are available on microfilm.
14. All of these microfilms are available in your local genealogy library.
15. There is a book-form census index for all available censuses.
16. Your local genealogy collection has a complete set of these indexes.
17. Your local Family History Center can order in any census film you need.
18. Census Day, or the day when enumerators could begin their work, is important.
19. Using the Soundex, when available, is the right thing to do.
20. The Soundex is by sound of surname index.
21. A Soundex Code for any surname is a letter followed by four numbers.
22. A Soundex Index exists for the complete 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 censuses.
23. You should try to locate your ancestor on every census taken during his or her life.
24. It is important to note your ancestor's neighbors.
25. You should photocopy the census information you find.
26. US censuses are the most important genealogical tool available.
27. You can use census records in your local genealogy library, Family History Census, National Archives, or, you can borrow them from commercial companies delivered to your home.
So, how did you do?
All answers are True except for:
2. The first federal census was taken in 1790 NOT 1776.
5. There are women's names listed IF they were the head of the family.
14. This depends on your local library.
15. NO!!!!
16. False
21. A Soundex Code for any surname is a letter followed by THREE numbers.
Several sources to improve your understanding of how to use the US censuses are:
The Source," by Szucs and Luebking, 1996
The Map Guide to the Federal Census, 1790-1920, by William Dollarhide
Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives by the Archives.Ms. Potter writes a column for The Spokesman-Review. Her web site is a must see for Potter Researchers at: http://www.screensaves.com/potter.htm She is the past president of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society, past vice president of the Washington State Genealogical Society and she teaches at the local community college. Here current brick wall is: Phillips in GA, 1780-1860, with affiliated lines: Story, Stout, Veazey, Hunton, Cox,
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