Making Sense of the Census
Dissecting an Archival Document
Directions: Using a copy of the U.S. Census from any year available, answer the questions below to learn information about your family.

In what year was this census taken? ______________

List the place your family members lived at the time of this census (street and house number, community, county, and state). __________________________________________________
Was this residence in a city, town, or rural area?____________________________________

Who was head of the household? ________________________________________________
How is this person related to you? ________________________________________________

How many people lived at this residence? _______ Look at their ages. How many generations of your family lived at this residence? ________

Did people who were not relatives of your family live at this residence? If so, what was their relationship to the head of household?  ____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Why do you think these people lived with your family? ________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

How many in the household were employed? ____ List the various occupations. 
____________________________________________________________________________

Was anyone unemployed during this census year? If so, can you determine why?
____________________________________________________________________________

Was anyone in the household sick during this census year? If so, was the person an adult or child? What was the person's illness? What effect would this illness have on other members of the household? _______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

How many people in the household were married? Was anyone widowed or divorced?
____________________________________________________________________________

How many people attended school during this census year? _____
Could everyone in the household read and write?_____ If not, can you imagine why?
____________________________________________________________________________ 

Was everyone at this residence a U.S. citizen? _____ List the birthplaces of everyone in the household. ___________________________________________________________________