THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS FOR THE SIXTEENTH CENSUS RELEASE
Brenda Kellow
July 10, 2011
The census bureau releases the decennial censuses every 72 years, considered to be the average lifespan. To date the censuses released and available to the public begin with the first one in 1790, taken on horseback when Thomas Jefferson was Secretary of State, and continued every ten years through the 1930 census. Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution calls for an enumeration of the people every ten years. The purpose of the census is used for state appointment of seats in the House of Representatives. It is speculated that collecting census information was used to show the status of the labor force and the movement of large numbers of people. This is information highly valued by family history researchers.
There is a reason for the 72-year waiting period before release. It was because the census contains personal information. By law it cannot be released until the information is 72 years old, considered to be roughly the life expectancy of people in our country. (The waiting period is archaic since todays life span is estimated to be 78.7 years as of a study done in 2009.) The reason is that the personal information contains facts such as wages, names and ages and occupations of everyone in the household.
The countdown has begun for the 1940 census release, scheduled for Monday, April 2, 2012. If April 1st was not a Sunday but a weekday it would be released on April 1. Our government does not work on Sunday, thus the date of release is one day later. Therefore, every ten years another census decade is released. Example: The 1950 census release date is 2022 and the 1960 release date is ten years later in 2032.
On the day of release, the National Archives will release digital images via the internet at home or at the National Archives. There will be no microfilm copies. In the beginning, the index will be by Enumeration District (ED). Therefore, you will have to know approximately where your ancestor lived.
If your ancestors in city over 15,000, a street address is required for finding you ancestor. A web-based utility will allow going from an address to the ED. The Archives provides a tool called 1900-1940 Census ED Finder and an ED Finder/Converter. Therefore, for those living in the same city as the 1930 census, the tool will give you the ED for the 1940 census.
The 1940 census asks information new to those of us familiar with previous censuses. The 1940 census identifies the person from whom the information was collected. It provides information about birthplace, veteran’s service and whether they have a number and receive or contribute regularly to Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits. Another question asks where the person lived on April 1, 1935. For those over the age of 14, it asks about their employer, whether a private or government employee working with the WPA, NYA, CCC etc.
Find those EDs on the 1930 census to access the 1940 information quickly. For the 1940 census, homework is required.
NOVEMBER ALL-DAY WORKSHOP: On November 19 Kelvin L. Myers will present a workshop at the Plano Bible Church, 1900 Shiloh Road, from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. entitled Sources and Techniques to Jumpstart Your Research. Topics include where to research after the 1930 census, tax records, tracing neighbors and researching the Territorial Papers of the United States. For more information and cost contact Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries, Post Office Box 860477, Plano 75086-0477, [email protected] or go to their website at www.genealogyfriends.org.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].
There is a reason for the 72-year waiting period before release. It was because the census contains personal information. By law it cannot be released until the information is 72 years old, considered to be roughly the life expectancy of people in our country. (The waiting period is archaic since todays life span is estimated to be 78.7 years as of a study done in 2009.) The reason is that the personal information contains facts such as wages, names and ages and occupations of everyone in the household.
The countdown has begun for the 1940 census release, scheduled for Monday, April 2, 2012. If April 1st was not a Sunday but a weekday it would be released on April 1. Our government does not work on Sunday, thus the date of release is one day later. Therefore, every ten years another census decade is released. Example: The 1950 census release date is 2022 and the 1960 release date is ten years later in 2032.
On the day of release, the National Archives will release digital images via the internet at home or at the National Archives. There will be no microfilm copies. In the beginning, the index will be by Enumeration District (ED). Therefore, you will have to know approximately where your ancestor lived.
If your ancestors in city over 15,000, a street address is required for finding you ancestor. A web-based utility will allow going from an address to the ED. The Archives provides a tool called 1900-1940 Census ED Finder and an ED Finder/Converter. Therefore, for those living in the same city as the 1930 census, the tool will give you the ED for the 1940 census.
The 1940 census asks information new to those of us familiar with previous censuses. The 1940 census identifies the person from whom the information was collected. It provides information about birthplace, veteran’s service and whether they have a number and receive or contribute regularly to Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits. Another question asks where the person lived on April 1, 1935. For those over the age of 14, it asks about their employer, whether a private or government employee working with the WPA, NYA, CCC etc.
Find those EDs on the 1930 census to access the 1940 information quickly. For the 1940 census, homework is required.
NOVEMBER ALL-DAY WORKSHOP: On November 19 Kelvin L. Myers will present a workshop at the Plano Bible Church, 1900 Shiloh Road, from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. entitled Sources and Techniques to Jumpstart Your Research. Topics include where to research after the 1930 census, tax records, tracing neighbors and researching the Territorial Papers of the United States. For more information and cost contact Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries, Post Office Box 860477, Plano 75086-0477, [email protected] or go to their website at www.genealogyfriends.org.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].