Talk:1880 United States Census

Hollerith and punched cards

I have seen various different versions of this story. "The 1880 census took 9 years, but with Hollerith's punched cards the 1890 census only took a few weeks to tabulate" or "The 1880 census took 6 years and the 1890 census 1 year", and various variations. Can anyone point to an authoritative source on this?152.17.124.28 (talk) 23:30, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

Time

Why does it take so long to count up to 50,189,209? --Abdull 09:07, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

Because tabulating complex demographic data does not provide a single number. The census data contains a lot of different information and analysis. Consider this quote from the US Census Bureau:

The results of the 1890 Census are contained in 25 volumes, plus a three-part compendium, statistical atlas, and an abstract. The complete results from the special enumeration of survivors of the Civil War were not published (the schedules of which were turned over to the Bureau of Pensions); however, the special inquiry on Schedule 1 (general population schedule) regarding Union and Confederate veterans were published in the report on population. (http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/pol02marv.pdf, page 133)

The census has become more and more complex with each passing decade.152.17.124.28 (talk) 23:30, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

Ancestry

Is there a way to see what % of a counties' ancestors were from a given country in 1880? Modern US census ask people what their ancestry is. But can you find it in the 1880 census? Rakovsky (talk) 20:19, 5 November 2009 (UTC)