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The 1860 census was begun on 1 June 1860. The enumeration was
to be completed within five months.
For all free persons, the census asked:
- Name
- Age
- Sex
- Color
- Occupation of persons over age fifteen
- Value of real estate
- Value of personal estate
- Name of state, territory, or country
of birth
- Whether the person was married during the year
- Whether the person
was deaf-mute, blind, insane, an "idiot," a
pauper, or a convict
The information in the slave schedules is the same as those for
1850.
Research strategies remain the same as those suggested for
the 1850 census because information included in the 1850
and 1860 schedules is essentially the same, except for the
addition of a question concerning personal estates. While
the added column may be a general indicator of a person’s
assets, it is doubtful that individuals were likely to disclose
true figures for fear of being taxed accordingly.
The 1860 census was the first to ask those
being queried to reveal the value of
their personal estates. As enumerations
of districts were completed, enumerators
were instructed to make two 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 the third
to be sent to the Census Office for tabulation.
The birthplaces of individuals were to
be specific as to the state or territory
in the United States and the country
of birth if foreign born. For example, designations
of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales
and the German states of Prussia, Baden,
Bavaria, Württemberg, and Hesse-Darmstadt
were preferred to Great Britain and Germany.
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).
1860 Census Information Links |
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