Daily AncestorThe 1800 U.S. Census
The 1800 census, dated August 4, 1800, still names only household heads but sorts free white people into five age groups for each sex.
The second census began on Monday, August 4, 1800, and assistants had nine months to finish. It now reached the lands northwest of the Ohio River and Mississippi Territory, and the returns went to the Secretary of State instead of the President.
The big gain over 1790 is age. Every free white male and female falls into one of five age groups, so you can sketch the shape of a family even though only the head is named.
The questions, column by column
| Name of head of family | The only name on the line. |
|---|---|
| Free white males: under 10, 10 to 15, 16 to 25, 26 to 44, 45 and up | The form says '10 and under 16' and so on, so a boy of 16 goes in the third group. |
| Free white females in the same five groups | Set them beside the males to guess at a husband, wife, and children, then confirm with other records. |
| All other free persons, except Indians not taxed | Free people of color in the household. |
| Slaves | A number only, with no names, ages, or sex. |
New this census
- Five age groups for free white men and women, replacing the simple over and under 16 split used for men in 1790.
Watch out for
- Ages are ranges as of August 4, 1800. A man in the 26 to 44 group was born roughly between 1755 and 1774.
- Lost schedules include Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia, Mississippi Territory, and most of the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio. Only a few Washington County pages survive from that territory.
- Maine was still part of Massachusetts.
- There were still no printed federal forms, so page layouts vary from place to place.
Other schedules
- Population only.
Where to see it
- Surviving pages are microfilm M32 (52 rolls). FamilySearch (free with an account) and Ancestry (free on computers at National Archives facilities) both index it and show the images.
- The Washington County, Northwest Territory pages are microfilm M1804, viewable in the National Archives Catalog.