Family History Basics

The first U.S. Federal Population Census was taken in 1790, and has been taken every ten years since. However, data from recent censuses are not available after 1940 because of a 72-year privacy restriction. Most researchers find it most helpful to begin with the 1940 Census and work backwards to locate people in earlier generations.

From 1850 to 1940, details are provided for all individuals in each household, such as:

• names of family members
• their ages at a certain point in time
• their state or country of birth
• their parent's birthplaces
• year of immigration
• street address
• marriage status and years of marriage
• occupation(s)
• value of their home and personal belongings
• the crops that they grew

Not all of this information is available in every census. Before the 1850 Census, few of these details were recorded. From 1790-1840, only the head of household is listed and the number of household members in selected age groups.