National Census Data on Slavery

Questions Asked on African Americans
from the National Census
Before you form your research question, you need to be aware of what questions were asked on each census. Also, browsing through these questions may give you an idea as to what research question to ask. These are the variables from the census that deal only with African American population. There are other variables on the census concerning African Americans, so you may want to consult the on-line historical browser as well.

Data on African American Population from the National Census 1790 - 1860 Differentiates between slaves and free men

1790	1800	1810	1820
1830	1840	1850	1860

Data on African American Population
from the
National Census 1870-1960

1870	1880	1890	1900	1910
1920	1930	1940	1950	1960

QUESTIONS ON RACE AND SLAVERY ASKED ON THE 1790 CENSUS

total population
no. of slaves
no. of slaveholding families
no. of white slave holding families
total no. of members in white slave holding families
no. of free colored slave holding families
no. of free colored nonslaveholding families
no. of families holding one slave
no. of families holding 2 - 300 slaves or more
no. of families holding an unknown no. of slaves

QUESTIONS ON RACE AND SLAVERY ASKED ON THE 1800 CENSUS

Only whites counted

QUESTIONS ON RACE AND SLAVERY ASKED ON THE 1810 CENSUS

number of all other free persons, except indians not tax number of slaves

QUESTIONS ON RACE AND SLAVERY ASKED ON THE 1820 CENSUS

number of male slaves under 14
number of male slaves 14 - 45 years of age and over
number of female slaves under 14 years of age
number of female slaves 14 - 45 years of age and over
number of free colored males under 14 years of age
number of free colored males 14 - 45 years of age and over
number of free colored females under 14 years of age
number of free colored females 14 - 45 years of age and over
number of all other persons, except indians not taxed
no. males slaves
no. female slaves
no. free colored males
no. free colored females
total no. slaves
total no. free colored persons

QUESTIONS ON RACE AND SLAVERY ASKED ON THE 1830 CENSUS

VARIABLES FOR THE 1830 CENSUS

no. of male slaves under ten years of age
no. of male slaves 10-23 years of age
no. of male slaves 24-35 years of age
no. of male slaves 36-54 years of age
no. of male slaves 55-99 years of age
no. of male slaves 100 years of age and over
no. of female slaves under ten years of age
no. of female slaves 10-23 years of age
no. of female slaves 24-35 years of age
no. of female slaves 36-54 years of age
no. of female slaves 55-99 years of age
no. of female slaves 100 years of age and over
no. of free colored males under ten years of age
no. of free colored males 10-23 years of age
no. of free colored males 24-35 years of age
no. of free colored males 36-54 years of age
no. of free colored males 55-99 years of age
no. of free colored males 100 years of age and over
no. of free colored females under ten years of age
no. of free colored females 10-23 years of age
no. of free colored females 24-35 years of age
no. of free colored females 36-54 years of age
no. of free colored females 55-99 years of age
no. of free colored females 100 years of age and over
total population
total no. male slaves
total no. female slaves
total no. slaves
total no. free colored males
total no. free colored females total
no. free colored persons

QUESTIONS ON RACE AND SLAVERY ASKED ON THE 1840 CENSUS

number of free colored males under ten years of age
number of free colored males 10-23 years of age
number of free colored males 24-35 years of age
number of free colored males 36-54 years of age
number of free colored males 55-99 years of age
number of free colored males 100 years of age and over
number of free colored females under ten years of age
number of free colored females 10-23 years of age
number of free colored females 24-35 years of age
number of free colored females 36-54 years of age
number of free colored females 55-99 years of age
number of free colored females 100 years of age and over
number of male slaves under ten years of age
number of male slaves 10-23 years of age
number of male slaves 24-35 years of age
number of male slaves 36-54 years of age
number of male slaves 55-99 years of age
number of male slaves 100 years of age and over
number of female slaves under ten years of age
number of female slaves 10-23 years of age
number of female slaves 24-35 years of age
number of female slaves 36-54 years of age
number of female slaves 55-99 years of age
number of female slaves 100 years of age and over
total no. free colored males
total no. free colored females
total no. free colored persons
total no. male slaves
total no. female slaves
total no. slaves

QUESTIONS ON RACE AND SLAVERY ASKED ON THE 1850 CENSUS

number of free colored males under one year of age
number of free colored females under one year of age
number of free colored males 1-4 years of age
number of free colored females 1-4 years of age
number of free colored males 5-9 years of age
number of free colored females 5-9 years of age
number of free colored males 10-14 years of age
number of free colored females 10-14 years of age
number of free colored males 15-19 years of age
number of free colored females 15-19 years of age
number of free colored males 20-29 years of age
number of free colored females 20-29 years of age
number of free colored males 30-39 years of age
number of free colored females 30-39 years of age
number of free colored males 40-49 years of age
number of free colored females 40-49 years of age
number of free colored males 50-59 years of age
number of free colored females 50-59 years of age
number of free colored males 60-69 years of age
number of free colored females 60-69 years of age
number of free colored males 70-79 years of age
number of free colored females 70-79 years of age
number of free colored males 80-89 years of age
number of free colored females 80-89 years of age
number of free colored males 90-99 years of age
number of free colored females 90-99 years of age
number of free colored males 100 years of age and over
number of free colored females 100 years of age and over
number of free colored males of unknown age
number of free colored females of unknown age
total number of free colored males
total number of free colored females
total free colored population
number of male slaves under one year of age
number of female slaves under one year of age
number of male slaves 1-4 years of age
number of female slaves 1-4 years of age
number of male slaves 5-9 years of age
number of female slaves 5-9 years of age
number of male slaves 10-14 years of age
number of female slaves 10-14 years of age
number of male slaves 15-19 years of age
number of female slaves 15-19 years of age
number of male slaves 20-29 years of age
number of female slaves 20-29 years of age
number of male slaves 30-39 years of age
number of female slaves 30-39 years of age
number of male slaves 40-49 years of age
number of female slaves 40-49 years of age
number of male slaves 50-59 years of age
number of female slaves 50-59 years of age
number of male slaves 60-69 years of age
number of female slaves 60-69 years of age
number of male slaves 70-79 years of age
number of female slaves 70-79 years of age
number of male slaves 80-89 years of age
number of female slaves 80-89 years of age
number of male slaves 90-99 years of age
number of females slaves 90-99 years of age
number of male slaves 100 years of age and over
number of female slaves 100 years of age and over
number of male slaves of unknown age
number of female slaves of unknown age
total number of male slaves
total number of female slaves
total number of slaves

QUESTIONS ON RACE AND SLAVERY ASKED ON THE 1860 CENSUS

no. of free colored males under one year of age
no. of free colored females under one year of age
no. of free colored males 1-4 years of age
no. of free colored females 1-4 years of age
no. of free colored males 5-9 years of age
no. of free colored females 5-9 years of age
no. of free colored males 10-14 years of age
no. of free colored females 10-14 years of age
no. of free colored males 15-19 years of age
no. of free colored females 15-19 years of age
no. of free colored males 20-29 years of age
no. of free colored females 20-29 years of age
no. of free colored males 30-39 years of age
no. of free colored females 30-39 years of age
no. of free colored males 40-49 years of age
no. of free colored females 40-49 years of age
no. of free colored males 50-59 years of age
no. of free colored females 50-59 years of age
no. of free colored males 60-69 years of age
no. of free colored females 60-69 years of age
no. of free colored males 70-79 years of age
no. of free colored females 70-79 years of age
no. of free colored males 80-89 years of age
no. of free colored females 80-89 years of age
no. of free colored males 90-99 years of age
no. of free colored females 90-99 years of age
no. of free colored males 100 years of age and over
no. of free colored females 100 years of age and over
no. of free colored males of unknown age
no. of free colored females of unknown age
total no. of free colored males
total no. of free colored females
aggr. no. of free colored persons
no. of slaves
no. of male slaves under one year of age
no. of female slaves under one year of age
no. of male slaves 1-4 years of age
no. of female slaves 1-4 years of age
no. of male slaves 5-9 years of age
no. of female slaves 5-9 years of age
no. of male slaves 10-14 years of age
no. of female slaves 10-14 years of age
no. of male slaves 15-19 years of age
no. of female slaves 15-19 years of age
no. of male slaves 20-29 years of age
no. of female slaves 20-29 years of age
no. of male slaves 30-39 years of age
no. of female slaves 30-39 years of age
no. of male slaves 40-49 years of age
no. of female slaves 40-49 years of age
no. of male slaves 50-59 years of age
no. of female slaves 50-59 years of age
no. of male slaves 60-69 years of age
no. of female slaves 60-69 years of age
no. of male slaves 70-79 years of age
no. of female slaves 70-79 years of age
no. of male slaves 80-89 years of age
no. of female slaves 80-89 years of age
no. of male slaves 90-99 years of age
no. of female slaves 90-99 years of age
no. of male slaves 100 years of age and over
no. of female slaves 100 years of age and over
no. of male slaves of unknown age
no. of female slaves of unknown age
total no. of male slaves
total no. of female slaves
aggr. no. of slaves
no. of slaveholders holding one slave
no. of slaveholders holding two slaves
no. of slaveholders holding three slaves
no. of slaveholders holding four slaves
no. of slaveholders holding five slaves
no. of slaveholders holding six slaves
no. of slaveholders holding seven slaves
no. of slaveholders holding eight slaves
no. of slaveholders holding nine slaves
no. of slaveholders holding 10-14 slaves
no. of slaveholders holding 15-19 slaves
no. of slaveholders holding 20-29 slaves
no. of slaveholders holding 30-39 slaves
no. of slaveholders holding 40-49 slaves
no. of slaveholders holding 50-69 slaves
no. of slaveholders holding 70-99 slaves
no. of slaveholders holding 100-199 slaves
no. of slaveholders holding 200-299 slaves
no. of slaveholders holding 300-499 slaves
no. of slaveholders holding 500-999 slaves
no. of slaveholders holding 1,000 slaves and over
total no. of slaveholders
total no. of slaves

Questions asked on African Americans in the Census of 1870

no. colored persons

Questions asked on African Americans on the 1880 Census

no. colored persons

Questions asked on African Americans on the 1890 Census

negro population, 1890
negro population, 1880
negro population, 1870
number of colored males
number of colored females
number of colored males 21 years of age or more

Questions asked on African Americans on the 1900 Census

total no. colored males
total no. colored females
no. negro males
no. negro females
no. negro males 5-20 years of age
no. negro females 5-20 years of age
no. other colored males 5-20 years of age
no. other colored females 5-20 years of age
no. negro males 18-44 years of age
no. other colored males 18-44 years of age

Questions asked on African Americans on the 1910 Census

total no. negroes
no. negro males of voting age
no. negro males
no. negro females
total no. negroes, ten years of age and over
total no. negroes 6-14 years of age

Questions asked on African Americans on the 1920 Census

no. male negroes
no. female negroes
no. negro males 21 years of age and over
no. naturalized negro females 21 years of age and over

Questions asked on African Americans on the 1930 Census

no. negro males
no. negro females
no. negro persons ten years of age and over
no. negro males 21 years of age and over
no. negro females 21 years of age and over

Questions asked on African Americans on the 1940 Census

number of negroes
number of negro males 21 years of age and over, 1940
number of negro females 21 years of age and over, 1940

Questions asked on African Americans on the 1950 Census

number of negro males
number of females of other races

Questions asked on African Americans on the 1960 Census

no. negro males
no. negro females