Uncle Sam wants to count you
The first U.S. census took place in 1790 and it was no easy task. There were no cars or phones, and mail delivery was iffy. U.S. Marshals were in charge of counting the people in their states and districts.
There were 13 states at the time: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island. A count was also taken in the districts of Kentucky, Maine, and Vermont, and the “Southwest Territory” (Tennessee).
The 1790 census asked these questions:
♦ The name of the head of the family in a household
♦ The number of people who lived in a household ♦ How many free white
males aged 16 and up lived in a household
♦ How many free white males under the age of 16 lived in a household
♦ How many free white females lived in a household
♦ How many other free people lived in a household
♦ How many slaves were part of a household
When all was said and done, the dubious (most agreed) number of 3,929,214 was established as the 1790 population of the United States. It was close enough for the government’s purpose at that time. The reason for a census was to determine how many representatives a state would get in Congress.
Today, the Census Bureau counts all manner of things and works around the year doing it. They track the types of jobs people work, how many bakeries and jewelers and candy shops there are in the U.S. They track shipping and industrial output, streets, waterways.
They compile statistics on housing units available, jobs, income, crime. They also track government: “The Census of Governments provides comprehensive data about the nearly 90,000 state and local governments in the nation every five years.”
And every 10 years, the Census Bureau still counts the people — still to determine how many representatives a state should have in Congress, but for other reasons, too, including in order to divvy up billions of tax dollars the federal government comes into possession of each year.
Local governments are understandably eager to make sure every person in their districts gets counted — the more people, the more money that flows from federal to state and local coffers.
This year’s Census questions are fairly simple: Name, date of birth, sex and race
of each person in a household, do you own or rent, relationship of each person to the person listed as the head of the household. The form asks if the person listed is of “Hispanic, Latino or Spanish” origin (origins are not the same as race). It also asks those who mark white or black as race to list origins.
American Indians and Alaska Natives are asked to include the “name of enrolled or principal tribe(s).”
Rather than a catch-all race listing of “Asian,” options include nine specific possibilities, such as Chinese or Japanese, and two “other” options that include many Asian countries.
There is, of course, an “other” option for those who don’t align with any of the races listed.
Census questionnaires will start showing up in people’s mailboxes mid-March. Instructions for responding will be included. People will have the option of responding by mail, online or by phone. There will be options for those with challenges, including video instructions for those who use American Sign Language. Instructions will include security measures.
The Census Bureau emphasizes: During the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau will never ask you for:
♦ Your Social Security number.
♦ Money or donations.
♦ Anything on behalf of a political party.
♦ Your bank or credit card account numbers.
If someone claiming to be from the
Census Bureau contacts you via email or phone and asks you for one of these things, it’s a scam, and you should not cooperate.
For more information, visit: https://2020census.gov/en/about-questions.html.
Tamara Wolk is a reporter for The Catoosa County News in Ringgold, Ga., and Walker County Messenger in LaFayette, Ga.