During the 1850s, many United States residents migrated west. Some headed to the gold fields of California or to the silver mines in Nevada. Others traveled with friends or families to settle the wide inland expanse from the Mississippi River to the Oregon coast. New territories joined the United States.
While westward migration promised freedom and opportunity to many, millions of African Americans were still enslaved. During the 1850s, public debate about slavery became more heated and many times erupted in violence. When the 1860 census was taken, the country was less than a year from the onset of the Civil War.
What was happening in your family during these times of change? You may find some answers in the 1860 census.
What Was the Date of the 1860 Census?
The 1860 census date was Friday, 1 June. This was the day that census-takers began to visit households across the United States. It took 5 months to finish the enumeration. Every person over the age of 20 was required to cooperate, and respondents were to provide answers to the census taker’s questions as if it were still 1 June 1860.
Who Was Included in the 1860 Census?
The 1860 census enumerated all residents of the United States who were not enslaved, including Native Americans who were living under United States law. People living in Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, and Washington Territories were included.
Residents of Indian Territory who were not Native Americans and were white, black, or “mulatto,” as people were called who had mixed African and European ancestry, were enumerated on the schedules for Arkansas. Enslaved people were counted in separate "slave schedules."
What Questions Were on the 1860 Census?
People who were enumerated were asked to provide the following information:
- Name, age, sex, and color
- The value of their “real” property (generally meaning land)
- The value of their personal property (generally referring to moveable goods, including enslaved people)
- State, territory, or country of birth
- Whether they had married or attended school within the year
- For males over 15, their profession, trade, or occupation
- For those over 20, whether unable to read and write
- Whether the person was “deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiot, pauper, or convict”
Enslaved people were rarely identified by name on the slave schedules. They were tallied only by physical description (age, sex, color) under the name of the slaveholder. Any people who had successfully escaped or had been manumitted were tallied, as were any who were “deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic.” Under the tallies for each slaveholder was reported the number of houses he or she provided for enslaved people.
You may find additional information about some relatives on other schedules taken in 1860. Mortality schedules documented people who had died during the year prior to the census. Agricultural and manufacturing schedules described the production of those who made their living by farming or running a manufacturing establishment.
What Did the 1860 Census Show?
The 1860 census showed that the United States population grew by about 35 percent during the 1850s, thanks to both natural increase and immigration. Over 4 million people counted in the 1860 census were born outside the country; an estimated 2.7 million of them had arrived since 1850. Ireland accounted for nearly 44 percent of the foreign born, Germany for another 26 percent, and England for nearly 13 percent.
States located in the center of the country grew the fastest during the 1850s: Illinois, Indiana, Texas, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Missouri. However, New England and the middle states (including Delaware, Maryland, and Ohio) were still the most densely populated.
According to 1860 census statistics, 3.95 million African Americans lived in slavery in 15 states that permitted the practice. Their numbers had grown by about 23 percent since 1850. Just under a half million people of African descent were free, an increase of about 12 percent since 1850.
How Do I Find Someone in the 1860 Census?
You can search the 1860 census for free at FamilySearch.org. In the search form below, enter a relative’s first and last name, and if known, the person's likely residence in 1860 and year of birth.
If you don’t find your relatives easily in the first several search results, enter any additional information that could uniquely identify them, such as the name of a family member with whom they may have been living in 1860.
Watch for details you recognize in search results, such as a middle name or the names of a person's children. Name spellings may not be exactly as you expect, and people may have been identified by nicknames or initials.
The order in which household members are listed should be a clue to family relationships. The head of household was supposed to be listed first, followed by a spouse. Then the children were to be listed in order of age, beginning with the oldest.
Other household members were to appear next, such as live-in workers, boarders, and extended family. But keep in mind that the census-taking instructions may not have always been perfectly followed.
If you can’t find someone in the 1860 census, it’s possible that the person appears under a name or in circumstances you don’t recognize. African Americans may have been enslaved and therefore not listed by name. Women may have had a different surname.
It’s also possible that a person wasn’t enumerated, or that the person you are looking for was not alive. Try searching for the person in the 1850 and 1870 censuses, and then use what you learn to search again in the 1860 census. Follow these tips for searching for African American relatives.
How Can I Learn More about Life in 1860?
You can learn more about the realities of everyday life around the time of the 1860 census by doing some research of your own. Would your ancestors have been affected by immigration, slavery, or westward migration during this time? Explore these topics below.
Find Your Ancestor in Another Census
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