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Timeline of the U.S. Census

By erinjane39

  • Revolutionary War ends

    Signing of the Peace of Paris.

  • First U.S. Census

    President George Washington orders that a census be taken of the entire United States in order to find out how many people are living in each state so that he knows how many seats to give each state in the House of Representatives and also to see how many men are available for military duty.
  • 1800 Census

    1800 Census

    The questionnaire provided space to separately tally free white males and females in several age categories: under 10, 10 but under 15, 16 but under 25, 25 but under 45, and over 45. Indians, slaves, and free blacks were listed in single categories undivided into age groups. Secretary of State John Marshall was nominal supervisor of the census on Census Day, August 4, 1800.

  • 1820 Census

    Authorizing Legislation The fourth census was taken in accordance with the census act of March 14, 1820, which required more detailed population-related inquiries than earlier enumerations. This census is notable for being the first to inquire if respondents were engaged in agriculture, commerce, or manufacturing.

  • 1830-President John Q. Adams has Census Day changed

    President John Q. Adams, in his fourth address to the U.S. Congress on December 28, 1828, recommended starting the census earlier in the year than August 1. He also proposed that the collection of age data be extended from infancy, in intervals of 10 years, "to the utmost boundaries of life." These changes were incorporated into the census act of March 23, 1830, which would be during Andrew Jackson's presidency.
  • 1890 Census-Used punch cards to speed up tallying.

    1890 Census-Used punch cards to speed up tallying.

    Punch card and electronic tabulator technology developed by Herman Hollerith to speed the tallying of the 1890 census.

  • 1930 Census-Census day from then on would be April 1st.

  • 1940 Census-Sampling used for the first time

    Asked more detailed questions about unemployment.
  • 1950 Census-computers were used for the first time.

    1950 Census-computers were used for the first time.

    One of the first computers was built to help tabulate census data.
  • 1960s U.S. population reaches 200,000,000

    1960s U.S. population reaches 200,000,000

  • 1980 Census-CD ROM technology used

    CDs were used to save data.
  • 1980 Census-Mail out/mail back forms used across U.S.

    1980 Census-Mail out/mail back forms used across U.S.

  • 1990 Census-Internet was used.

    During the 1990s the internet made Census Bureau information widely available to a growing number of data users.

  • 1994 Census website created

  • 2006-U.S. population reaches 300,000,000

    2006-U.S. population reaches 300,000,000

  • 2009-2011 FactFinder Released

    2009-2011 ― Economic Census data are published entirely via the Census Bureau's American Factfinder.
  • 2010 Census-President Obama participates live

    2010 Census-President Obama participates live

  • 2010 Census questionnaire was one of the shortest in history.

    The 2010 census questionnaire was one of the shortest in history - asking just 10 questions of all households in the United States and Island Areas related to name, gender, age, race, ethnicity, relationship, and whether you own or rent your home