|
The 1850 census was begun on 1 June 1850. The enumeration was
to be completed within five months.
- Name
- Age
- Sex
- Color
- Territory or country of birth
- Whether the person attended school
or was married within the year
- Whether the person could read
or write if over age twenty
- Whether the person was deaf-mute,
blind, insane, or “idiotic”
- Whether or not a fugitive
from the state; and real estate value
- The census also asked
the occupation of males over age fifteen
Separate slave schedules for 1850 asked the name of each slave
owner, the number of slaves owned, and the number of slaves manumitted
(released from slavery). While the schedules, unfortunately, do
not name individual slaves, they asked the age, color, sex, and
whether or not slaves were deaf-mute, blind, insane, or idiotic;
and whether or not a fugitive from the state.
The 1850 schedules included the free population and slave population
and mortality, agriculture, and industry data. The inclusion
of so much personal data for the first time in the 1850 census
is an obvious boon to genealogists and social historians.
For the first time it is possible to identify families and
other groups by name. The inclusion of birthplaces for every
individual allow for the plotting of migration routes.
Ages provided in the 1850 census allow researchers to establish
dates for searching vital records. While few states officially
recorded vital records that early, religious and other records
may be pursued with estimated dates of birth gleaned from
the census.
The identification of previous residences points to still
other record sources to be searched in named localities.
The indication
of real estate ownership would suggest that land and tax
records should be searched. The 1850 census may provide
starting information
for searching marriage records, probates, and a number
of other genealogically important records. Probable family
relationships
may also be determined through 1850 census records, though
it is easy to come to the wrong conclusions. The 1850 census
provides valuable insights into occupations and property
value.
It may also make it possible to spot remarriages and step-relationships
and to determine approximate life spans.
The 1850 census is frequently referred
to as the first modern census because
of dramatically improved techniques employed
for it and repeated in later years. Printed
instructions to the enumerators account
for a greater degree of accuracy compared
with earlier censuses. The instructions
explained the responsibilities of enumerators,
census procedures, the manner of completing
the schedules, and the intent behind
census questions. “In the 1850
census and thereafter, enumerators were
required by law to make their count by
personal inquiry at every dwelling and
with every family, and not otherwise.” As
enumerations of districts were completed,
the enumerator was instructed to make
two additional copies: one to be filed
with the clerk of the county court, one
to be sent to the secretary of the state
or territory, and one of the three to
be sent to the Census Office for tabulation.
The census was to show the names of persons
who died after 1 June of the census year
and to omit children born after that
date. It should be noted that many of the census
takers did not get around to their assigned
districts until late in 1850; some were
as late as October and November.
The enumeration was to list every person
in the United States except Indians
living on government reservations or living
on unsettled tracts of land. Indians
not in
tribal relations, whether of mixed
blood or not, who were not living among the
white population or on the outskirts
of towns,
were counted as part of the taxable
population. The count was designed to determine the
apportioning of representatives among
the states.
The information above is an excerpt
from The Source: A Guidebook of American
Genealogy,
edited by Loretto D. Szucs and Sandra
H. Luebking, Chapter 5, “Research
in Census Records,” by Loretto
D. Szucs (page 114).
1850 Census Information Links |
Home 