Has success with 1900 Census Subscription led you to wonder what other censuses have to offer you? If so, you're not alone. Even professional genealogists would agree that census records are among the most important types of record for researching your ancestors.

The first U.S. census was taken in 1790 and set out with the specific purpose of recording a state's population. It recorded the name of the head of household and then listed the number of people who lived in the household (broken down into five specific categories). Jump ahead to the 1920 census, however, and you'll be privy to details ranging from the number of years a person had been married to whether the family home is owned or rented!

In 1790, census-takers outside of Massachusetts didn't have printed forms to fill out and, as a result, there was little continuity in the early schedules. In taking the first census, workers provided their own paper and information was submitted on paper ranging from four inches to three feet! Since that time, as you can see, both the manner and type of information collected has changed substantially. Regardless of how much or how little information each census contains, each can prove to be invaluable in painting a portrait of a family at a particular place and time.

June 7, 2001

Helpful Products • 1900 Census Subscription • Genealogy Library Subscription — Includes census indexes from 1790-1860. More Articles • 1900: A Year in the Life of America • Secrets of the Census • First Steps: Getting Started in Genealogy — Making Sense of the U.S. Census

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