I have been reading these census threads. I dont know how many of you have ever seen the censuses of the past, but i have literally seen millions.
I do genealogy, plus am currently working on indexing old censuses to get them online.
These censuses, dating back to the 1800’s basically are all the same, asking the same questions. Name, names of people in the household, their age, their “color/race”, married/single/widowed/divorced, date of immigration, date of naturalization, country/state of birth for each person and their parents, type of work they did and some, even the price of the home they live in.
What they are asking in this census, is no different from any other. There is absolutely nothing new here, in fact, they are asking for LESS information.
I know most people dont care, but these censuses, for genealogists are a very valuable tool.
It is the “expanded” form that they can randomly select you to fill in that should worry you. Other than Race: Other: American, I will fill in what I deem traditional questions. (I don’t have mine yet to see what they ask.)
I'm sure you are sensing that for most commenters on this thread, their distrust and dislike (to put it mildly) of the government trumps genealogy concerns.
From Article 1, Section 2 of the constitution:
Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.
Here are some examples of how “in such Manner as they shall by Law direct”:
Questions on the 1790 census:
* The number of free White males aged:
o under 16 years
o of 16 years and upward
* Number of free White females
* Number of other free persons
* Number of slaves
Questions on the 1800 Census
* The number of free White males and females aged, respectively:
o under 10 years of age
o of 10 years but under 16 years
o of 16 years but under 26 years
o of 26 years but under 45 years
o 45 years and upward
* Number of all other free persons
* Number of slaves
Questions on the 1820
* The number of free White males and females aged, respectively:
o under 10 years of age
o of 10 years but under 16 years
o of 16 years but under 18 years (for males)
o of 18 years but under 26 years (for males)
o of 16 years but under 26 years (for females)
o of 26 years but under 45 years
o 45 years and upward
* The number of male and female slaves aged, respectively:
o under 14 years of age
o of 14 years but under 26 years
o of 26 years but under 45 years
o 45 years and upwards
* The number of free colored males and females aged, respectively:
o under 14 years of age
o of 14 years but under 26 years
o of 26 years but under 45 years
o 45 years and upwards
* Number of foreigners not naturalized
* Number of persons (including slaves) engaged in agriculture, commerce, and manufactures
1850
Schedule No. 1 - Free Inhabitants
Listed by column number, enumerators recorded the following information:
1. Number of dwelling house (in order visited)
2. Number of family (in order visited)
3. Name
4. Age
5. Sex
6. Color
This column was to be left blank if a person was White, marked “B” if a person was Black, and marked “M” if a person was Mulatto.
7. Profession, occupation, or trade of each person over 15 years of age
8. Value of real estate owned by person
9. Place of Birth
If a person was born in the United States, the enumerator was to enter the state they were born in. If the person was born outside of the United States, the enumerator was to enter their native country.
10. Was the person married within the last year?
11. Was the person at school within the last year?
12. If this person was over 20 years of age, could they not read and write?
13. Is the person “deaf, dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict?”
Schedule No. 2 - Slave Inhabitants
Slaves were listed by owner, not individually. Listed by column number, enumerators recorded the following information:
1. Name of owner
2. Number of slave
Each owner’s slave was only assigned a number, not a name. Numbering restarted with each new owner
3. Age
4. Sex
5. Color
This column was to be marked with a “B” if the slave was Black and an “M” if they were Mulatto.
6. Listed in the same row as the owner, the number of uncaught escaped slaves in the past year
7. Listed in the same row as the owner, the number of slaves freed from bondage in the past year
8. Is the slave “deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic?”
Thats' funny, but the word "genealogist" doesn't appear in my copy of the Constitution. Maybe my copy is broken. Weird.
I would agree with you if 20% of households weren’t being sent the expanded census, plus the outrageously intrusive American Community Survey, which is sent out in non-census years. Your ancestors never had to answer how many toilets their home had, nor answer questions about salary, commute time, medical problems, etc etc.
You are right in that the current short form census does not ask some of the questions asked in previous censuses—notably, they do NOT ask for citizenship status, nor date of immigration. They should. I’d welcome such a question, as it far more salient than some of the other questions.
They also ask for a phone number, I don't have one by the way.
Have you actually seen an expanded form?
The issue is not the census.
The issue is this government.
In the 1800’s I would not have worried so much.
With these bastards, I worry a lot.
Starve the beast, of especially of information.
Thank you for your post. It’s very true. But some people don’t want to take the time to do a quick search on past census forms, or, they just enjoy the feeling of their tinfoil hats on their tiny noggins. I dunno. Either way, the form really hasn’t changed that much.
Why do they need my phone number? I certainly don’t trust this crowd of commies in Washington to keep anything secure.
You are absolutely right. I work in a historical/genealogical society. I have right in front of me a photocopy of the 1870 federal census form.
There are 20 categories of information in the 1870 including: name of every person in household; age of last birthday for each person; color (white, black, mulatto, Chinese, Indian); profession, occupation, or trade of each person male or female; value of real estate; value of personal estate; place of birth naming state or territory or the country of origin if foreign birth; father of foreign birth (y or n); mother of foreign birth (y or n); if born within last year what month; if married within last year what month; cannot read; cannot write; attended school within last year; whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic; male citizen of U.S. 21 or older; male citizen of U.S. of 21 years of age and upwards whose right to vote is denied or abridged on other grounds than rebellion or other crimes.
Sorry to remind everyone. Neither Obama nor Romney was president in 1870. People refusing to return forms are playing into Obama’s hands—they won’t be counted in the rural, generally conservative parts of the country; their states and districts will lose representation; Hispanics and other minorities in big cities will be overcounted and will get more federal tax dollars spent in their districts and re-districting will favor Obama voters. Wise up, people.
Why are you shilling for 0bozo the commie pig & the corrupt gubmint RATs? I don’t give a hoot about the geneologists, and I don’t see that in U.S. Constitution as a reason for the census. Answer Question 1, then answer #9 - American, than N/A for the rest of the questions.
In Washington, DC, the local government has been playing with the issue of vacant property. Last year they tried to tax all vacant property including land at 10% of assessed valuation. This is more than 10 times the rate for occupied homes. Finally, after much political struggle, the language was changed to “blighted” vacant property. Then, not satisfied with that some councilpeople are trying to make a rate of double the regular tax rate for ANY vacant property. They are also trying to force people to register their property as vacant if it is empty for ONE month, with high fees, and/or fines and jail time for failure to register. I wonder how many people will put people in their “vacant” homes for census purposes. This latest ploy was based on the fact that other jurisdictions do the same. I think they said Cincinnati was one of the 3 cited cities.
Are you aware that the Feds used census data to round up Japanese Americans on the Left Coast during WWII? There’s nothing to stop them from doing it now!