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Encyclopedia of the U.S. CensusThe history, politics, content, procedures, and uses of the decennial census of the American population. See the entry under "History of Decennial Censuses". Includes bibliography for each census through 2010.
Population Schedules
Census population schedules (or "name schedules" or "manuscript census") are copies of the original questionnaires collected during each decennial census. They list the individual names and family information of the people enumerated. Unlike the statistics published soon after the census, the population schedules remain confidential for 72 years. 1930 is the most recent population schedule available.
- Ancestry.comonline access to population schedules, search by name, place, and other characteristics
- Census Records Online 1790-1950Open to all, hosted by the National Archives.
Raw Data Files
These are computer files intended to be loaded into statistical software for analysis and creating your own tables. In some cases these files can be used with spreadsheet software as well.
Contact
Need help? Use the Ask-A-Librarian reference service, or call us at (847) 491-7656, during Research Assistance Desk hours.
To consult with a government information specialist by appointment, contact govinfo@northwestern.edu
About the 1870 Census
Highlights of the 1870 Census
- 9th decennial census
- US population: 39,818,449 (revised count)
- Illinois population: 2,539,891
- First census taken after the 13th amendment abolished slavery.
- First census to fully record information on the black population.
Questions asked
Name; age; sex; race; occupation; value of real estate; value of personal estate; place of birth; whether parents were foreign born; month of birth if born within the year; month of marriage if married within the year; school attendance; literacy; whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic; male citizens 21 and over, and number of such persons denied the right to vote for other than rebellion. Supplemental schedules for persons who died during the year; paupers; prisoners.
For more information:
Map Coverage of the 1870 Census
For more information:
Statistics of the 1870 Census
Multi-year census compilations (compare across years): These sources tend to include statistics for large geographic areas (e.g. states), but can be very useful when comparing statistics over time.
Digitized Data Sources
- National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS)
Hosted at the University of Minnesota, provides aggregate census data and GIS-compatible boundary files for the United States between 1790 and 2014. Open access to data, although users must create an account. - Social Explorer - subscription database, access to NU-affiliated users only.
Includes Census data 1790-present along with other datasets on health, crime, and other topics. US emphasis but other national data is also available. Data can be mapped or data tables extracted.
Key publications:
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Online access |
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Statistics of the Population of the United States... |
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Vital Statistics of the United States |
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The Statistics of the wealth and industry of the United States |
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Compendium of the ninth census |
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Statistical Atlas of the United States based on results of Ninth Census, 1870 ... Government Info Microtext (non-circulating) I1002-1 |