When researching your family tree, it seems easier to find dates and places than it is to find personal information such as eye color, native language, or if they were denied the right to vote. Or is it?
Depending on the time period they lived, it may be easier than you think. Here's a list of information you can find on the census and which ones you can find the information in - assuming the census taker collected the information. For a variety of places to find census records, click here.
Birth
The person's birth month and year See the 1900 Census
The person's birth month if born within the past year See the 1870 & 1880 Census
The person's place of birth See the 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 & 1940 Census
The person's race See the 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 & 1940 Census
Parents Origins
Whether or not the person's father and/or mother was of foreign birth See the 1870 Census
Native language of the person's father and mother See the 1920 & 1930 Census
Birth place of mother and father See the 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 & 1930 Census
Immigration
Whether the person was a Naturalized Citizen or an Alien See the 1910, 1920, 1930 & 1940 Census
Year of Immigration See the 1910, 1920 & 1930 Census
Year of Naturalization See the 1920 Census
Health/Personal
Whether or not the person was deaf, dumb, blind, insane or idiotic See the 1850, 1860, 1870 & 1880 Census
Eye Color (Men only) See the WWI Draft Registrations & WWII Draft Registrations
Height & Build (Men only) See the WWI Draft Registrations & WWII Draft Registrations
Education
Whether or not the person spoke English See the 1920 & 1930 Census
Whether or not the person could read and write See the 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1920 & 1930 Census
Whether or not the person attended school in the past year See the 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1920 & 1930 Census
Highest level of education See the 1940 Census
Marriage/Marital Status
The person's Marital Status See the 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 & 1940 Census
Whether or not they were married in the past year See the 1850, 1860, 1870 & 1880 Census
The person's age at first marriage See the 1930 Census
Month married if within the past year See the 1870 Census
Number of years married See the 1910 Census
Employment
Months employed See the 1880 Census
The person's Occupation/Trade/Profession See the WWI & WWII Draft Registrations (men only) & the 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1920 & 1930 Census
Military
Whether or not they served in the military See the 1890 Veterans Census & the 1930 Census
See the WWI Draft Registrations & WWII Draft Registrations
Property
The person's street address See the 1880, 1890 Veterans Census, 1900, 1910, 1930 & 1940 Census
The declared value of the person's personal estate See the 1870 Census
Whether or not the home was on a farm See the 1930 & 1940 Census
Whether or not the home was owned free or mortgaged See the 1920 Census
Whether the home was owned or rented See the 1920, 1930 & 1940 Census
The value of the home or rent See the 1850, 1860, 1870, 1930 & 1940 Census
Farm Schedules
Children
The person's relationship to the head of household See the 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 & 1940 Census
Number of children born to mother See the 1900 & 1910 Census
Number of children living See the 1900 & 1910 Census
Slaves
Number of Slaves See the 1790-1840 Census & the 1850 & 1860 Slave Schedules
Number of Slave houses See the 1850 & 1860 Slave Schedules
Other
Whether or not there was a radio in the home See the 1930 Census
Whether or not they were denied the right to vote (men only) See the 1870 Census
For more ideas on resources you should be able to find for your ancestors, depending on when they lived, try my Year Checker tool. Just enter a year (from 1600 to 1989) and see what general resources should be available for people living in that time period. It's a work in progress, but may provide you with an idea or a clue you hadn't previously considered.
There are many other places to find personal information to bring your ancestors' stories to life. Local histories, newspapers, and biographies are just a few places. See my Genealogy Dashboard for tons of places to find free information about your ancestors and family.
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