{"id":55131,"date":"2020-01-02T11:54:24","date_gmt":"2020-01-02T16:54:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=55131"},"modified":"2021-06-18T13:54:33","modified_gmt":"2021-06-18T17:54:33","slug":"how-to-use-u-s-census-data-for-genealogy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/how-to-use-u-s-census-data-for-genealogy.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Use U.S. Census Data for Genealogy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Charting your family\u2019s bloodline and identifying your ancestors is one of the most eye-opening and exciting endeavors available to us. What\u2019s more powerful than learning about the men and women who paved the way for your very own existence?<\/p>\n

At times, it can even become a treasure hunt. You follow trails and land on some old newspaper article, with a story that comments on your great-great grandpa\u2019s heroism \u2013 or something the likes of. It\u2019s almost intimate. Much more than just charting names and dates, genealogy is about getting to know those that lived before you.<\/p>\n

Thus, one of the best ways to conduct your genealogy research is by using the U.S. Census. But how to use census data correctly isn\u2019t common knowledge. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve written you this guide on how to use U.S. Census data for genealogy.<\/p>\n

Just keep on reading.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: this 1940 Census<\/a> publicity photo shows a census worker (left) collecting information from a respondent (right) in Fairbanks, Alaska. The dog musher (center, background) remains out of earshot to maintain confidentiality. Credit: Dwight Hammack, U.S. Bureau of the Census; FDR Presidential Library; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What Is the U.S. Census?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Within the U.S. Constitution (Article 1, Sec. 2), there\u2019s a clause set forth by the Founders that allows the government to conduct a decennial \u201cresident count,\u201d or population count, of everyone living in America. The first census in U.S. history took place in 1790, and this process has continued to today. The census is conducted every decade (10-year counts), meaning if your ancestors lived in America after 1790, then it\u2019s likely they\u2019re in the U.S. Census.<\/p>\n

What Good Is Census Genealogy Research?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Census genealogy can create visibility on your ancestral roadmap that you would otherwise never have. It can help you determine who exactly your ancestors were. Better yet, as America aged, the census records became incredibly detailed, offering much more information than just the family member\u2019s name and their place of residence. The data collected each census year can reveal vital information that allows you to dig further into your family history<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Census data allows you to skip through time. For example, there might be a single family member\u2019s name on one census, yet the following census might show the names of two children. By their age, you can then determine when your family member possibly became pregnant and what travels they endured along the way.<\/p>\n

Thus, aside from a population number, your census genealogy research can show records of:<\/p>\n