1850, 1860 and 1870 U. S. Census
1850 Census
Why is the 1850 census important?
The 1850 census saw a dramatic shift in the way information about residents was collected . For the first time, free persons were listed individually instead of by family. There were two questionnaires: one for free inhabitants and one for slaves.
What is free inhabitant census? Beginning in 1850, the census named all free members of households, white and nonwhite . The enumerator recorded the person's name, age, sex, place of birth, and the color of each free person in a household (e.g., black, white, or mulatto).
1850 Census Form - Schedule 1, Free Inhabitants
1850 Census Form - Schedule 2, Slave Inhabitants
1860 Census
Why is the 1860 census important?
1860 Census Form - Schedule 1, Free Inhabitants
1860 Census Form - Schedule 2, Slave Inhabitants
1870 Census
Why is the 1870 census important?
The 1870 census was the first census to provide detailed information on the African American population , only five years after the culmination of the Civil War when slaves were granted freedom. The total population was 38,925,598 with a resident population of 38,558,371 individuals, a 22.6% increase from 1860.
1870 Census Form - Schedule 1, Inhabitants
