This guide focuses on historical statistics and data, aiming to cover from 1790 to the present day. It focuses on sources that answer questions such as, "What was one of the major causes of death between 1900 and 1910?" or "How many people were living in the United States in 1850?" As you explore the guide, it is important to note that some information might not exist; it’s possible the data wasn’t collected or preserved. This guide is here to help you with your search, as there is still plenty of historical information available.
The American Census by
This book is the first social history of the census from its origins to the present and has become the standard history of the population census in the United States.
What Is Your Race? by
A historical overview of the census race question--and a bold proposal for eliminating it America is preoccupied with race statistics--perhaps more than any other nation.
Encyclopedia of the U. S. Census by
The Encyclopedia of the U.S. Census, Second Edition updates and expands a critically-acclaimed resource to the history, politics, content, procedures, and uses of the decennial census of the American population. The new edition highlights changes in the Census Bureau's data collection and dissemination practices for the 2010 enumeration, including the use of a short-form questionnaire for the actual population count, and the release in late 2010 of the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year data set based on rolling samples of the U.S. population and gathered using the long-form questionnaire.
This guide was created by Kathleen O'Donovan as part of a Public History Internship for Western Carolina University.
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