Replies

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?”