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The 1880 census was begun on 1 June 1880. The enumeration was
to be completed within thirty days, or two weeks for communities
with populations of 10,000 or more.
For each person in every household, the census asked:
- Name
- Whether white, black, mulatto, Indian, or Chinese
- Sex
- Age
- Month of birth if born within the year
- Relationship to the head
of the household
- Whether single, married, widowed, or divorced
- Whether married
within the year
- Occupation and months unemployed
- Name of state, territory, or
country of birth
- Parents’ birthplaces
- School attendance within the year
- Whether unable to read if
age ten or older
- Whether sick or temporarily disabled on the
day of enumeration and the reason therefore
- Those who were blind,
deaf-mute, “idiotic,” insane,
or permanently disabled were also indicated
as such
The 1880 census makes it possible to identify the state or country
of birth for parents—especially important for tracing movements
of immigrant ancestors. The census may be used to supplement
birth or marriage records for the census year or even to partially
replace them where vital records are not recorded elsewhere.
The census may also be useful in discovering previously unknown
surnames of married daughters, mothers-in-law, cousins, and other
relatives living with the family. This is the first census to
state relationship to the head of household, but the wife may
not be the mother of the children. The 1880 census may also provide
clues to genetic symptoms and diseases in earlier generations
of a family.
In addition to identifying the state, county,
and other subdivisions, the 1880 census
was the first to provide the name of
the street and house number for urban
households. The 1880 census was also
the first to identify relationship to
the head of household; illness or disability
at the time the census was taken; marital
status; number of months unemployed during
the year; and the state or country of
birth of every individual’s father
and mother. Individuals who were born
or died after 1 June 1880 were not to
be included in the 1880 census, even
though the enumerator may not have questioned
them until well after that date. Indians
not taxed are not in regular population
schedules. Some may appear in special
Indian schedules.
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 115).
1880 Census Information Links |
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