The United States Federal Census began in 1790, when it was requisitioned by Congress. The United States led the way as the first nation to make the Census mandatory. The first Federal Census was completed in 1792, and a census has been taken once every ten years since that time. With its comprehensive listing of US citizens, the Federal Census may be your best bet to tracing down that ancestor you've been looking for.
The Census is not released until 72 years after it has been completed. This is to protect the privacy of the living, because no one wants information about them made readily accessible online. This means that the 1930 Census is currently the most recent one available.
On the original Federal Census in 1792, only six questions were required. Information from that census includes head of household, race, and gender. In 1930, there were 32 questions on the Federal Census, which includes information like if and from where the individual immigrated to the United States , home ownership, literacy, marriage, education, and employment information. You can even discover where their father and mother were born, and whether or not they served in the military. This information is interesting, and you can also use it to further your genealogical research.
So where can you obtain this valuable information? Unfortunately, the Federal Census Bureau will only have information from the most recent census, or the 1930 census. The Bureau does not maintain records from previous censuses. You can get the records from the 1930 census either online or at the National Archives and Records Administration. The National Archives and Records Administration has several locations around the country, but if there is not a location near you, they can be accessed online at www.nara.gov. Many libraries and Family History centers will also provide recent census information. But they also do not have information from less recent censuses.
In order to get information from an older US Census, you will likely have to go online. There are many different genealogy sites that sell software containing all of the Census information, from 1792 to 1930. You can pay a subscription and receive unlimited access to Federal Census records. Genealogy.com, and Ancestry.com are two such sites that, for a price, provide you with the information for every census that has ever been released. The information found in these early editions is priceless information to your ancestry-finding success.
Your best option to finding the right information you need is probably to subscribe to one of these sites that provides census information. You can't obtain this information anywhere else, and the Federal Census is the best way to trace where your ancestors lived, who their parents were, where they originally came from, as well as a lot of other valuable information. With its inclusion of every United States Citizen, the US Census is the most comprehensive source out there for family history information. So start today by using the Federal Census or another great source to find your link to the past.
By Riannon Cutler