If you have started researching your family history, and have already talked with some relatives, looked through pictures and documents you've found at home, and have some vital records, you should begin to look at the various census records available.
You may wonder why census records are important for the family historian. The amount of information available on census records is remarkable, and can be a very useful tool for anyone wanting more information on their ancestors.
The U.S. Constitution calls for a counting of the population every ten years. The first U.S. census was performed in 1790. Though the primary purpose of counting Americans was to gather statistics for various governmental functions, especially representation, the records themselves contain a wealth of information. The census' performed from 1790 to 1840 list the names of the heads of household in each state. Beginning with the 1850 census, however, every household member was listed by name, age, and birthplace. From 1880 onward, the census shows the relationship between the head of the household and each family member. Beginning with the 1900 census, immigration and naturalization information was recorded. Other information you might find includes ocupation, education, whether someone was "insane", and the amount of personal wealth a person had. Just think how this information can help you in your research!
In order to protect the privacy of individuals, census information is not released by the government for 72 years after it is obtained. The 1930 census will be available in 2002.
It is possible to access census records in a variety of places, including libraries, archives, and online. There are numerous CD copies of the original census records for sale by various companies. They can also be found at the National Archives. Finding the census information you are seeking can be difficult if you don't know how to use the various indexes available. These indexes will be discussed in the second part of Using the Census in Your Family Research.
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