United States Census, 1900 - FamilySearch Historical Records

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United States Census, 1900 CID1325221 {{{CID2}}} {{{CID3}}} {{{CID4}}} {{{CID5}}} {{{CID6}}} {{{CID7}}} {{{CID8}}} {{{CID9}}}
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United States
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Record Description
Record Type	Census Population Schedules
Record Group	RG 29: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-1996
Collection years	1900
Microfilm Publication	T623. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. 1854 rolls.
Arrangement	Arranged alphabetically by state, by county,and by enumeration district.
National Archives Identifier	2353585
FamilySearch Resources
United States Guided Research
United States Record Finder
United States Research Tips and Strategies
United States Census
United States Census 1900
United States, How to Use Census Records
Strategies for Using U.S. Census
United States Census Analyzing Census Data
Using the Census to find other records about ancestors
United States Census Abbreviations
How to Find Native American Ancestors Using the 20th Century U.S. Censuses
Related Websites
NARA Introduction to Census Records
NARA 1900 Federal Population Census
NARA Clues in Census Records,1850-1930
NARA Article Census Schedules for Americans Overseas 1900-1930
Census Bureau About the 1900 Census
1900 Census Questions
Census Finder
United States Census Online
Archive
National Archives and Records Administration

What is in This Collection?

Index and images of population schedules from National Archive microfilm publication T623, Twelfth Census of the United States,1900. The collection is part of Record Group 29 Records of the Bureau of the Census.The index includes all states and the Armed Forces (foreign country where census occurred) and the Indian Territory. Images can also be viewed using the browse option. The census will identify the place of residence on June 1,1900 for each person counted. The collection is arranged alphabetically by state, then by county, and by enumeration district (ED). Enumeration districts may not always be arranged in numerical order within each state.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Image Visibility

Whenever possible FamilySearch makes images and indexes available for all users. However, rights to view these data are limited by contract and subject to change. Because of this there may be limitations on where and how images and indexes are available or who can see them. Please be aware some collections consist only of partial information indexed from the records and do not contain any images. For additional information about image restrictions see Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections.

To Browse This Collection

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for United States Census, 1900.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

• State, county, township, and enumeration district where census was taken
• Street address and house number
• Name of head of household
• Names of all members of household
• Relationship to head of household
• Race
• Gender
• Month and year of birth
• Age
• Marital status
• Number of years married
• Number of children born to mother
• Number of children still living
• Each household member's birthplace
• Birthplace of person's father
• Birthplace of person's mother
• Year of immigration and number of years in the United States
• Whether a naturalized citizen: Al Alien; Pa Papers; Na Naturalized
• Occupation
• Months attended school
• Whether member can, read, write and speak English

Territory of Alaska census

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

Native American Census Form

• Indian name
• Tribe of the individual and names of their parents
• Percentage of white blood
• If married, whether living in polygamy
• Whether taxed
• Year of citizenship
• Whether citizenship was acquired by land allotment

Hawaiian Islands census

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

Military and Navy census

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

Collection Content

Sample Image

• 

  1900 United States Census, Alabama

• NARA 1900 Federal Census Sample Form
• NARA Census Sample Form Native American

How Do I Search This Collection?

To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:

• The name of your ancestor
• The approximate age and birth place of your ancestor
• The state and county where your ancestor lived
• The names of other family members and associates

Search the Index

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.

1. Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know
2. Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images

View images in this collection by visiting the Collection Browse Page:

1. Select State
2. Select County
3. Select Enumeration District to view the images

How Do I Analyze the Results?

Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

• Add any new information to your records
• Use the age listed to determine an approximate birth date. This date along with the place of birth can help you find a birth record. Birth records often list biographical and marital details about the parents and close relatives other than the immediate family
• Use the race information to find records related to that ethnicity such as records of the Freedman’s Bureau or Indian censuses
• Use the naturalization information to find their naturalization papers in the county court records. It can also help you locate immigration records such as a passenger list which would usually be kept records at the port of entry into the United States
• Birthplaces can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family
• It is often helpful to extract the information on all families with the same surname in the same general area. If the surname is uncommon, it is likely that those living in the same area were related
• Be sure to extract all families before you look at other records. The relationships given will help you to organize family groups. The family groupings will help you identify related families when you discover additional information in other records
• Married family members may have lived nearby but in a separate household so you may want to search an entire town, neighboring towns, or even a county
• You may be able to identify an earlier generation if elderly parents were living with or close by a married child
• You may be able to identify a younger generation if a young married couple still lived with one of their sets of parents
• Additional searches may be needed to locate all members of a particular family in the census
• The census may identify persons for whom other records do not exist

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

• Remember that as with any index, transcription errors may occur.
• Check for variant spellings of the names.
• Look for another index. Local historical and genealogical societies often have indexes to local records.
• Search neighboring localities or states.
• Try the following alternative search methods:
  • Fill in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.
  • Fill in the person's given name and the given name of a spouse or child.
  • Supply combinations of the known birthplace, known birth year, and approximate range for birth year.
  • Use only the initial plus an asterisk (*) for the surname or given name.
• There is the possibility that a family was missed in the census.
• There is the possibility that the census taker incorrectly wrote the name.
• There is the possibility that the transcriber misread the name as entered.

Research Helps

The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States.

• United States Guided Research
• United States Record Finder
• United States Research Tips and Strategies

FamilySearch Catalog

• 1900 population census schedules
• 1900 United States federal census soundex index
• Card Index (Soundex) to the 1900 Population Schedules
• Census enumeration district descriptions, 1900 : NA T1210
• Indian Territory, 1900 federal census : soundex and population schedules
• Military and Naval, 1900 federal census : soundex and population schedules
• Institutions, 1900 federal census : soundex

Related FamilySearch Historical Record Collections

• NARA Census Maps, 1900-1940

Related State Census Collections

• Iowa, 1905
• Minnesota, 1905
• New Jersey, 1905
• New York, 1905
• Rhode Island, 1905
• South Dakota, 1905
• Wisconsin, 1905

FamilySearch Digital Library

• The history and growth of the United States census : prepared for the Senate Committee on the Census

Known Issues

Click here for a list of known issues with this collection.

Citing This Collection

Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Collection Citation: The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Citing this Collection.

Record Citation: When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information.

Image Citation: When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen.

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