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  • Alabama Trails To The Past
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Questions Asked on the 1870 Census

US 1870 Census Download

 

  • Name, age, sex and color of every person in the household
  • Occupation of each male
  • Occupation of each female
  • Value of real estate owned
  • Value of personal property owned
  • Place of birth of each person
  • Was the person married within the year
  • Whether or not parents are of foreign birth
  • If a person was born within the year, the month of birth was given
  • If a person was married within the year, the month of marriage was given
  • Did the person attend school within the year
  • Can the person read and write
  • Is the person deaf, dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic
  • Is the person a male citizen over 21
  • Is the person a male citizen over 21 who cannot vote

Census Tip: The 1870 census asked if the parents were of foreign birth which is a great help in finding immigrant ancestors and opens up the possibility of locating naturalization records when they become naturalized. Mortality schedules were part of this census. Names of people who died in the year previous to the census were listed in these special mortality schedules along with the cause of death.

 

 

1870

For the 1870 census, enumerators recorded demographic information on the following topics, organized by column number:

  1. Number of dwelling house, by order of visitation from enumerator
  2. Number of family, by order of visitation from enumerator
  3. Name
  4. Age
  5. Sex
  6. Color

    Enumerators could mark "W" for White, "B" for Black, "M" for Mulatto, "C" for Chinese [a category which included all east Asians], or "I" for American Indian.
  7. Profession, occupation, or trade
  8. Value of real estate
  9. Value of personal estate
  10. Place of birth

    State or territory of the United States or foreign country
  11. Was the person's father of foreign birth?
  12. Was the person's mother of foreign birth?
  13. If the person was born within the last year, which month?
  14. If the person was married within the last year, which month?
  15. Did the person attend school within the last year?
  16. Can the person not read?
  17. Can the person not write?
  18. Is the person deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic?
  19. Is the person a male citizen of the United States of 21 years or upwards?
  20. Is the person a male citizen of the United States of 21 years or upwards whose right to vote is denied or abridged on grounds other than "rebellion or other crime?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

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