Daily AncestorThe 1860 U.S. Census
The 1860 census, dated June 1, 1860, adds the value of personal property and records occupations for women as well as men, the last count before the Civil War.
The eighth census began on Friday, June 1, 1860, under the same 1850 law, with schedules almost the same as 1850. Every free person is named, with age, sex, color, birthplace, and occupation.
Two changes help. Occupation now applies to every person over 15, male or female, and a new column asks the value of personal estate as well as real estate.
The questions, column by column
| Dwelling and family numbers | Order of visit, which shows who lived near whom. |
|---|---|
| Name of every person whose usual place of abode on June 1, 1860, was in this family | Every free person. |
| Age, sex, color | Age at last birthday before June 1. |
| Occupation of each person, male and female, over 15 | Women's work appears for the first time. |
| Value of real estate and of personal estate | A second lead to the family's means. |
| Place of birth | State, territory, or country. |
| Married within the year, attended school, over 20 and cannot read and write | Marks only. |
| Deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict | Recorded in the wording of the time. |
New this census
- Value of personal estate.
- Occupation for women over 15.
- The slave schedule adds the number of slave houses.
Watch out for
- Still no relationship column. Do not assume who is a son or a nephew.
- Married within the year means June 1, 1859, to May 31, 1860.
- Missing: Hernando County, Florida (never taken), Bienville Parish, Louisiana, four Mississippi counties, and Blanco County, Texas.
- Some people appear under a different territory or state: parts of later Nevada are filed with Utah Territory, and non-Indian residents of Indian lands were counted with Arkansas.
Other schedules
- Slave schedule: owners named; enslaved people listed by number with age, sex, and color, plus counts of those who escaped or were freed and the number of slave houses.
- Mortality schedule: deaths from June 1, 1859, to May 31, 1860, with cause of death and length of illness.
- Agriculture, manufacturing, and social statistics schedules.
Where to see it
- Microfilm M653 (1,438 rolls). FamilySearch (free with an account) and Ancestry (free on computers at National Archives facilities) both index it and show the images.