The U.S. Federal census is taken every 10 years in years ending in zero. States also took census enumerations in years between the Federal censuses. These censuses were often taken for tax purposes.

Who were the census takers?
They were just folks like you and I doing a job to make ends meet. They were required to know how to read and write and they usually lived in the area they enumerated. In the early days the census taker needed a horse. It was a job. Some were conscientious and hard workers, striving for accuracy and legibility; some were just interested in getting a little government money.

There are obvious problems. The census taker did not consult any records, sometimes they did not even talk to the people in the household. They recorded information from personal knowledge, talked to neighbors, small children and visiting relatives. These methods result in huge variations in responses over a 10 year period. The foreign accents of recent immigrants played havoc with even phonetic spelling of surnames. Copies of the census records were copied. Not always by the enumerator. Often he would recruit his wife or older children to help with the copying.

On the older "fence post" tallies, the person listed as head of household may not have been the oldest person living there. That person may have been a parent or even a grandparent. People listed in any age group may not have been family members. They could be servants, visitors or boarders.

On later census listings sometimes the adult children could not even agree on the birthplace of the parents. Sometimes deceased individuals are listed on the census. The census was planned to be taken on a certain date each year. This was not reasonable considering the terrain and modes of transportation, so they tried to record information that was correct on the census date. This results in discrepancies in the ages of children and in the listing of recently deceased individuals who were living on the actual census date.

The information included in the 1790 census was name of head of household, number of free white males 16 years and upwards, number of free white males under 16, number of free white females, number of all other free persons, number of slaves, county and sometimes town or district of residence.

Much of the 1790 census was destroyed in the War of 1812, some states totally, some states partially. Sometimes tax lists are available to help find the names of early residents.

Tennessee - There are no 1790 schedules for Tennessee, Washington and Metro Districts were enumerated in 1791 by direction of the territorial governor. Tennessee became a state in 1796.

Information given on the 1800 census includes: name of head of household; number of free white males and females in these age categories: 0-10, 10-16, 16-26, 26-45, 45 and upwards; number of other free persons except Native Americans not taxed; number of slaves; town (or district) and county of residence.

Tennessee - Schedules are missing for all counties. Pollyanna Creekmore's Early East Tennessee Tax Lists may be used as a substitute when searching for residents.

Tennessee - All schedules missing except Rutherford and parts of Grainger County.

Information added to this census is a category for free white males 16-18; number of persons not naturalized; number engaged in agriculture, commercial or manufacture; number of colored persons (sometimes in age categories); number of other persons, except Native Americans.

Tennessee - Schedules missing for all counties of the marshal's district of East Tennessee: Anderson, Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamilton, Hawkins, Jefferson, Knox, McMinn, Marion, Monroe, Morgan Rhea, Sevier, Sullivan and Washington.

Included beginning in 1830 are: name of head of household; number of free white males and females in age categories: 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70, 70-80, 80-90, 90-100, over 100; number of slaves and free colored persons in age categories, categories for deaf, dumb, and blind persons and aliens; town (or district) and county of residence.

Tennessee - The 1830 schedules are intact!

This census adds to the above: Revolutionary War pensioners and their ages; number engaged in mining, agriculture, commerce, manufacturing and trade, navigation of the ocean, navigation of canals, lakes and rivers, learned professions and engineers; number in schools; number in family over 21 who cannot read and write; number of insane.

Tennessee - The 1840 schedules are intact!

Tennessee - Schedules for all counties exist!

New information on the 1870 census include whether father and mother were foreign born, the month of birth for babies born during the census year, the month married during the census year, and whether the individual was eligible to vote.

The major addition to the 1880 census for researchers is the listing of each individual’s relationship to the head of household. The 1880 census is truly a fount of information for the genealogist.

The name, color, sex, month and year of birth, age, place of birth and relationship to the head of household are listed for each person who lived in the dwelling on June 1, 1900. Also requested are marital status, number of years married, how many children born to the mother, number of these children still living; mother and father's place of birth, year of immigration to the U.S., naturalization; occupation, number of months employed; whether attended school, can read, can write, can speak English.

The name, race, sex, month and year of birth, age, place of birth and relationship to the head of household are listed for each person who lived in the dwelling on April 15, 1910. Also requested are marital status, number of years married, how many children born to the mother, number of these children still living; mother and father's place of birth, year of immigration to the U.S., naturalized or alien; occupation, nature of trade, employer, worker or own account, number of months not employed; whether attended school, can read and write, and language spoken; whether blind or deaf mute.

Of special interest to the family researcher, this census asks if an individual is a veteran of the Civil War.

Personal information is listed for each individual who resided in each abode on January 1, 1920. Questions include: name, sex, color or race, age, place of birth, marital status, relationship to head of household; occupation, whether employer, salary worker or working on own account; year of immigration to U.S., naturalized or alien, and year of naturalization; place of birth of mother and father.

Questions about language are asked: mother tongue of individual and his parents; whether can speak English

The 1930 census did not have questions specifically regarding Civil War military service, number of children, or duration of marriage. It did, however, include several new question columns: whether the family owned a radio, the age at which a person was first married, and three columns regarding veteran status.

The microfilm images may have defects that affect legibility. The original schedules have been destroyed.

Microfilming of the 1940 census cannot begin until after 72 years has elapsed and microfilming can take 2 years or more. It probably won’t be available until 2014.