What are Census schedules?
The Census schedules constitute an important primary source for social historians of the United States as well as genealogists.
Census schedules were the forms used by census-takers to manually record information about the United States population and economy during the decennial censuses conducted door-to-door between 1790-1940* as well as during special censuses. Collections of census schedules covered in this guide:
- Population Schedules, 1790-1940 - demographic information about free U.S. residents
- Slave Schedules, 1850-1860 - total counts and other information about the slaves owned by individual slaveholders
- Federal Mortality Census Schedules, 1850-1880 - information about persons whose death was recorded during the year prior to the census.
- special population groups
- U.S. Federal Census - 1880 Schedules of Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes
- Special Schedules of the Eleventh Census (1890) Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War
- U.S. Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 (not part of the decennial census)
- Non-Population Schedules
- agricultural
- manufacturing
The Population Schedules were generally filled out by census-takers moving from dwelling unit to dwelling unit within each town and through the rural areas of each county. Supplemental schedules were generally filled out county-by-county and/or town-by-town. Each U.S. Indian Roll covers one tribal agency area.
A note about legibility: The census schedules vary greatly in their legibility due to factors such as penmanship and the varying condition of the original paper schedules from which the microfilm/digital reproductions were made.
*The 1950 census was the last U.S. census conducted primarily door-to-door. The 1950 census schedules will not be released for general public access until about 2022.
