United States Census, 1900 - FamilySearch Historical Records

This wiki article describes a collection that is available for free online at FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. To access the collection, see 1900 United States Census



Collection Time Period
The U.S. federal census was conducted each decade from 1790 to the present. This information pertains to the census conducted in 1900.

Collection History
Federal census takers were asked to record information about all those who were in a household on the census day, which was June 1 for the 1900 census. A census taker might have visited a house on a later date, but the information collected was supposed to have been about the people who were in the residence 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 then sent to the Census Office of the Commerce Department in Washington, D.C. The 1900 census covers 95 to 97 percent of the population.

Why This Collection Was Created
The U.S. federal census has been taken at the beginning of every decade, beginning in 1790, to apportion the number of representatives a state could send to the House of Representatives. 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.

Collection Reliability
Federal censuses are usually reliable, depending on the knowledge of the informant and the care taken by the census enumerator. Realize that any family member or even a neighbor may have supplied information to the census taker. Some information may have been incorrect or deliberately falsified.

Collection Description
Population schedules consist of large sheets with rows and columns. The schedules are arranged by state, county, place, and enumeration district. The districts are not always filed in sequential order. The arrangement of families on a schedule is usually in the order in which the enumerator visited the households.

Record Content
The 1900 census includes the following genealogical information:


 * Full name
 * Race
 * Sex
 * Age (can be used to calculate an approximate birth year)
 * Birth month and year
 * Relationship to the head of household


 * Birthplace of the individual and the parents (included even if the parents were not members of the household)
 * Marital status (single, married, widowed, or divorced)
 * Number of years married (can be used to calculate the approximate marriage year)
 * Number of children born to each mother and the number of those still living
 * Year of immigration and number of years in the United States
 * Whether a naturalized citizen
 * Occupation
 * Street address and house number

The census also includes the following information for people who lived in Alaska:


 * Tribe and clan
 * Date of locating to Alaska
 * Occupation in Alaska
 * Post office address at home

The census also includes the following information for Native Americans (Indians):


 * Indian name


 * Tribe of the individual and the parents (included even if the parents were not members of the household)
 * Percentage of white blood
 * If married, whether living in polygamy
 * Whether taxed
 * Year of citizenship
 * Whether citizenship was acquired by land allotment

The census also includes the following information for people living in the Hawaiian Islands:


 * Year of immigration and number of years lived in the Hawaiian Islands

The census also includes the following information about people serving in the military or Navy:


 * Name of military, naval station, or vessel
 * Company or troop, regiment, and arm of service
 * Rank grade or class
 * Residence in the United States

How To Use The Collection
The U.S. federal census is the best source for quickly identifying a family group and residence. The census identifies other persons in the household and tells how they are related. Use an individual’s place of residence, birth state or country, and age to search for other types of record. The census records may identify persons for whom other records do not exist.

Related Websites
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Related Articles
United States Federal Census

Sources Of Information For This Collection
United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900. From URL, date accessed or downloaded. Digital identification number (if any), state, county, and specific place (either town, township, city, ward, and so on); sheet number, line number. Example: United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900. From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org), September 29, 2006. Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71. United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce, 194?. Microfilm, item number, state, county, and specific place (either town, township, city, ward, and so on), sheet number, line number.

How To Cite Your Sources

Instructions for citing this source can be found at: Cite Your Sources (Source Footnotes)