Spring 2004
Professor Sanchez-Eppler
American Studies 68: American Civilization
The U.S. Census has been taken every ten years beginning in 1790. Its original purpose was to determine congressional representation and to apportion taxes to pay for the expensive Revolutionary War. While it's still used to determine reapportionment, it also provides an enormous amount of information about the population and the economy. The questions that the Census asks have changed over time -- for a comparison of the questions asked from 1790 to 2000, see the table compiled by Grace York. The Decennial Census is compiled into bound volumes, available in Frost at the locations below. The University of Virginia, in conjunction with ICPSR, has also created a very useful searchable Historical Census Browser for 1790 - 1960. They have included selected (not all) variables, and its smallest geographic area is the county.
In order to protect the privacy of individuals, Census data that is released to the public is aggregated, and the individual questionnaires are not available until 70 years after the Census is completed. The detailed data for 1930 has just been released, and is available via Heritage Quest. The most current Census (Census 2000) provides an ocean of data about the American people-- race, age, income, disability status, occupation, marital status, educational attainment, ancestry, language spoken at home, etc. For the first time it also contains information on the number of Americans who identify as multiracial or biracial. For an extensive list of racial categories on the 2000 Census, see List of Race or Ethnic Groups. Another key component of the Census is that the data is always geographically correlated. Census geography can be quite confusing but Census 2000: Geographic Concepts and Products gives a good overview, for another overview try Census 2000 Race and Geography. The Census data is released over time in large datasets called Summary File 1-4. Census data choices provides some information about which one to use.
The Library has the U.S. Census in bound volume going back to 1790:
- [1790] Return of the whole number of persons within the
several districts of the United States
(Arch-SpecColl) 310 Un4c C-1 Re - [1800] Return of the whole number of persons within the
several districts of the United States
(Arch-SpecColl)xx 310 Un4c C-2 Re - [1810] Return of the whole number of persons within the
several districts of the United States
(Arch-SpecColl) xx 310 Un4c C-3 Re - Census of 1820
(Arch-SpecColl) 310 Un4c-C-4 C - [1830] Fifth census; or, Enumeration of the inhabitants
of the United States
(Arch-SpecColl) xx 310 Un4c C-5 F - [1840] Compendium of the enumeration of the inhabitants
and statistics of the United States
(Arch-SpecColl) x 310 Un4c C-6 Co - The seventh census of the United States: 1850
(Arch-SpecColl) x 310 Un4c C-7 - Population of the United States in 1860
x 310 Un4c C-8 Po - [1870] A compendium of the ninth census
310 Un4c C-9 Co - [Census reports] Tenth census. June 1, 1880
x 310 Un4c C-10 Vol 1-10 - [Census reports] Eleventh census: 1890
x 310 Un4c C-11 (15 volumes) - Census reports-- Twelfth census of the United States,
taken in the year 1900
x 310 Un4c C-12 (10 volumes) - Thirteenth census of the United States taken in the year
1910
x 310 Un4c C-13 (11 volumes) - Fourteenth census of the United States taken in the year
1920
x 310 Un4c C-14 (11 volumes) - Fifteenth census of the United States: 1930.
x 310 Un4c C-15 (10 volumes) - Sixteenth census of the United States: 1940: Population ..
x 310 Un4c C-16 Po (17 volumes) - 1950 CENSUS OF POPULATION
x 310 Un4c C-17 Po
- 1960 CENSUS OF POPULATION
x 310 Un4c C-18 Po
- 1970 CENSUS OF POPULATION: CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POPULATION
x HA 201 1970 A568
- 1970 CENSUS OF POPULATION: GENERAL SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
CHARACTERISTICS, U.S. SUMMARY
HA 201 1970.U524
- 1980 CENSUS OF POPULATION: GENERAL POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS
HA 201 1980e
- 1990 GENERAL POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS
HA 201 1990 P
- 1990 CENSUS OF POPULATION: SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS
HA 201 1990 A77
- 2000 Census (http://www.census.gov/)
Some additional sources that might be useful:
- ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE U.S. CENSUS
Ref x HA 37 U55 E52
- 200 YEARS OF U.S. CENSUS TAKING: POPULATION AND HOUSING
QUESTIONS, 1790-1990.
Ref HA 37 U55 B63 1989 - Measuring America : the decennial censuses from 1790
to 2000
Ref HA37.U62 M42 2002
- NEW ENGLAND AT A GLANCE: PROFILES FROM THE 1990 CENSUS
Ref HA 218 K37 1993
- HISTORICAL STATISTICS OF THE UNITED STATES, COLONIAL
TIMES TO 1970
Ref x HA202 .B87 1975
Do you have questions about research in this course? Contact Susan Edwards (seedwards), x2676.