Decades of Data: Understanding the Evolution of Census Questions

This talk explores how U.S. census questions have changed from 1790 through 1950 and what those changes mean for genealogical research. Jamie Lee McManus Mayhew, PLCGS, will explain why certain questions appeared, disappeared, or shifted over time, and how those shifts reflect broader social and political priorities. Attendees will learn how to interpret their ancestors’ census entries within the context of each decade’s unique questions, gaining deeper insight into both the records and the people behind them.