United States Census, 1850
Record Description
Federal census takers were asked to record information about all those who were in each household on the census day, which was 1 June 1850[1]. A census taker might have visited a house on a later date, but the information he collected was supposed to be about the people who were in the house on the census day. The basic census enumeration unit was the county. Each county was divided into enumeration districts, one for each enumerator. The completed forms were sent to the Census Office in the Commerce Department in Washington D.C.
The U.S. federal census was taken at the beginning of every decade to apportion the number of representatives that a state could send to the House of Representatives in Congress. In the absence of a national system of vital registration, many vital statistics and personal questions were asked to provide a statistical profile of the nation and its states.
Federal censuses are usually reliable, depending on the knowledge of the informant and the care of the census enumerator. Information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or by a neighbor. Some information may have been incorrect or deliberately falsified.
Source Listing
- "About the 1850 Census." National Archives. N.p.. Web. 15 May 2013. http://1940census.archives.gov/about/.
- 7th Decennial Census Office. "Population Schedules for the 1850 Census." NARA microfilm publication M432. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. : n.d.
Links
Individuals in this Source
{{#lsth:File:1850 Federal Census - Georgia, Ware Ccounty, 89th Subdivision.JPG|Individuals in this document}} {{#lsth:File:John L Warren, "United States Census, 1850".jpg|people in this document}} {{#lsth:File:Thomas Hickox (1850 Federal Census).jpg|people in this document}
Documents from this Source
1850 Federal Census - Georgia, Ware County, 89th Subdivision - Crews, Hickox, Altman
