About the Census Manuscripts
The census manuscripts are the original handwritten forms filled out by the census taker for each federal decennial census when the census taker went door to door. These pages contain names and personal information.
The 72 Year Rule
Ten years later in 1952 the two agencies established a 72-year embargo before the remaining census manuscripts could be released to public researchers, likely for privacy reasons since the records contain personally identifiable information (Kratz, Aprill 2022). NARA releases each decennial census for public research access 72 years from that census's Census Day. A FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request must be filed to gain access to original records that are younger than 72 years old.
A researching reviewing an original U.S. census manuscripts
in the reading roomat the main NARA facility in Washington, D.C., 1940.
Public domain photo from NARA.
The Original Paper Records
The Census Bureau started transferring custody of census records to the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in 1942, including the bound paper copies of 1790–1870 population schedules as well as other non-population schedules. They later transferred over the original bound paper copies of the 1880 census population schedule and what remained of the 1890 census.
The original paper copies of the 1900 - 1970 censuses are no longer available. The Census Bureau destroyed the originals after microfilming them. While the 1880 census was transferred over to NARA in paper form, NARA microfilmed it and then gave the paper copies to respective state archives and libraries, and other institutions. Later census manuscripts have been transferred from the Census Bureau to NARA in electronic format, not in their original paper format Kratz, February 2022).
References
Kratz, J. (2022, February 17). Census Records Come to the National Archives. Pieces of History, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2022/02/17/census-records-come-to-the-national-archives/
Kratz, J. (2022, April 1). Public Access to Census Records at the National Archives. Pieces of History, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2022/03/17/public-access-to-census-records-at-the-national-archives/
My Census Manuscript Directories
My decade-by-decade U.S. census manuscript directories summarize key points about each decennial census, provide direct links to each decennial census collection on FamilySearch (FREE) and Ancestry.com ($), and link to essential reference tools for deeper analysis of each census.
- 1790 - 1840 Censuses DirectoryLearn about the 1790- 1840U.S. federal censuses, and how to access these manuscript collections on FamilySearch (FREE) or with an Ancestry subscription.
- 1850 - 1950 Federal Censuses DirectoryLearn about the 1850 - 1950 U.S. federal censuses, and how to access these manuscript collections on FamilySearch (FREE) or with an Ancestry subscription.
Recommended rReading
Map Guide to the U. S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920 by Call Number: Docs/US ; C 3.2:C 45/790-920ISBN: 0806311886Publication Date: 2005-01-01The county has always been used as the basic Federal census unit. Genealogical research in the census, therefore, begins with identifying the correct county jurisdictions. This work shows all U.S. county boundaries from 1790 to 1920. On each of the nearly 400 maps the old county lines are superimposed over the modern ones to highlight the boundary changes at ten-year intervals. Also included are (1) a history of census growth; (2) the technical facts about each census; (3) a discussion of census accuracy; (4) an essay on available sources for each state's old county lines; and (5) a statement with each map indicating which county census lines exist and which are lost. Then there is an index listing all present-day counties, plus nearly all defunct counties or counties later re-named. With each map there is data on boundary changes, notes about the census, and locality finding keys. There also are inset maps that clarify territorial lines, a state-by-state bibliography of sources, and an appendix outlining pitfalls in mapping county boundaries. The detail in this work is exhaustive and of such impeccable standards that there is little wonder why this award-winning publication is the number one tool in U.S. census research.
The Census Book by ISBN: 9781877677991Publication Date: 1999-08-01Following a 20-year hiatus, William Dollarhide has again written the definitive guide to the United States Census. Written specifically for genealogists and family historians, this book details all the census schedules for 1790 through 1950. The first, and highly acclaimed Census Book was written in 1999. This all-new volume covers a lot of new ground that the earlier volume could not do.
