Federal census questions asked 1790-1980
From: Shirley Drake Maynard

Subject: [DRAKE-L] Federal census questions asked 1790-1980
Date: Friday, February 23, 2001 6:31 AM

I picked up this piece of paper at the National Archives.  It does not have 
any publication number on it so I quote it just as it is without a number or 
source.  

Population census items, 1790 to 1980.  This includes only those supplemental 
schedules still in existence and excludes the questions asked on a sample 
basis only.

1790
Name of family head; free white males of 16 years and up; free white males 
under 16, free white females; slaves; other persons.

1800
Name of family head; if white, age and sex; race; slaves.

1820
Name of family head; age; sex; race; foreigners not naturalized; slaves; 
industry (agriculture, commerce, and manufactures).

1830
Name of family head; age; sex; race; slaves; deaf and dumb; blind; foreigners 
not naturalized.

1840
Name of family head; age; sex; race; slaves; number of deaf and dumb; number 
of blind; number of insane and idiotic and whether in public or private 
charge; number of persons in each family employed in each of six classes of 
industry and one of occupation; literacy; pensioners for Revolutionary or 
military service.

1850
Name; age; sex; race; whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic; value 
of real estate; occupation; birthplace; whether married within the year; 
school attendance; literacy; whether a pauper or convict.  Supplemental 
schedules for slaves, and persons who died during the year.

1860
Name; age; sex; race; value of real estate; value of personal estate; 
occupation; birthplace; whether married within the year; school attendance; 
literacy; whether deaf and dumb; blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict; 
number of slave houses.  Supplemental schedules for slaves, and persons who 
died during the year.

1870
Name; age; race; occupation; value of real estate; value of personal estate; 
birthplace; whether parents were foreign born; month of birth if born within 
the year; month of marriage if married within the year; school attendance; 
literacy; whether deaf and dumb; blind, insane, or idiotic; male citizens 21 
and over, and number of each person denied the right to vote for other than 
rebellion.  Supplemental schedule for persons who died during the year.

1880
Address; name; relationship to family head; sex; race; age; marital status; 
month of birth if born within the census year; occupation, months unemployed 
during the year; sickness or temporary disability; whether blind, deaf and 
dumb, idiotic, insane, maimed, crippled, bedridden, or otherwise disabled; 
school attendance; literacy; birthplace of person and parents.  Supplemental 
schedules for persons who died during the year.

1890
General schedules-destroyed.  Supplemental schedules for Union veterans of 
the Civil War and their widows.

1900
Address; name; relationship to family head; sex; race; age; marital status; 
number of y ears married; for women, number of children born and number now 
living; birthplace of person and parents; if foreign born, year of 
immigration and whether naturalized; occupation; months not employed; school 
attendance; literacy; ability to speak English; whether on a farm; home owned 
or rented and if owned, whether mortgaged.

1910
Address; name; relationship to family head; sex; race; age; marital status; 
number of years of present marriage; for women, number of children born and 
number now living; birthplace and mother tongue of person and parents; if 
foreign born, year of immigration, whether naturalized, and whether able to 
speak English, or if not, language spoken; occupation, industry, and class of 
worker; if an employee, whether out of work during year; literacy; school 
attendance; home owned or rented; if owned, whether mortgages; whether farm 
or house; whether a survivor of Union of Confederate Army or Navy; whether 
blind or deaf and dumb.

1920
Address; name; relationship to family head; sex; race; age; marital status; 
if foreign born, year of immigration to the U.S., whether naturalized, and 
year of naturalization; school attendance; literacy; birthplace of person and 
parents; mother tongue of foreign born; ability to speak English; occupation, 
industry, and class of worker; home owned or rented; if owned, whether free 
or mortgaged.

1930
Address; name; relationship to family head; home owned or rented; value or 
monthly rental; radio set; whether on a farm; sex; race; age; marital status; 
age at first marriage; school attendance; literacy; birthplace of person and 
parents; if foreign born, language spoken in home before coming to U.S., year 
of immigration, whether naturalized, and ability to speak English; 
occupation, industry, and class of worker; whether at work previous day (or 
last regular working day); veteran status; for Indians, whether of full or 
mixed blood, and tribal affiliation.

1940
Address; home owned or rented; value of monthly rental; whether on a farm; 
name; relationship to household head; sex; race; age; marital status; school 
attendance; educational attainment; birthplace; citizenship of foreign born; 
location of residence 5  years ago and whether on a farm; employment status; 
if at work, whether in private or non emergency government work, or in public 
emergency work (WPA, CCC, NYA, etc.); if in private or non emergency 
government work, hours worked in week; if seeking work or on public emergency 
work, duration of unemployment; occupation, industry, and class of worker; 
weeks worked last year; income last year.

1950
Address; whether house is on farm; name; relationship to household head; 
race; sex; age; marital status; birthplace, if foreign born, whether 
naturalized; employment status; hours worked in week; occupation, industry, 
and class of worker.

1960-1970
Address; name; relationship to household head; sex; race; age; marital status.

1980
Address; name; household relationship; sex; race; age; marital status; 
Spanish/Hispanic origin or descent.

Shirley Drake Maynard