United States Census, 1940

Federal Census

Background

Census Intructions

Census records are the only records that describe the entire population of the United States on a particular day. The 1940 census is no different. The answers given to the census takers tell us, in detail, what the United States looked like on April 1, 1940, and what issues were most relevant to Americans after a decade of economic depression.

• The Census Day

  There should be a return on the Population Schedule for each person alive at the beginning of the census day, i. e., 12: 01 A. M. on April 1, 1940.

• Informant

  Write an X with a circle around it, after the name of the person in each household who furnishes the information. If the mformation is obtained from a person who is not a member of the household, write the name of this person in the lefthand opposite the entries for the household, thus: "Information from John Brown, neighbor."

Points of Interest

Main Points

Residence in 1935

• Residence April I, 1935

  Column 17-20. Residence April 1, 1935.-Enter in these columns for every person 5 years old or over his place of residence on April 1, 1935, in accordance with the instructions in the headings of cols. 17-20. For persons who were living in a Territory or possession of the United States or in a foreign country on April 1, 1935, enter dashes in cols. 17 and 18, and the name of the Territory, possession, or foreign country in col. 19. For a person under 5 years of age, enter a dash (-) in col. 17 and leave cols. 18,19, and 20 blank.

• Employment Status
  • For persons 14 years old and over
  • Questions 21 to 25 are designed to classify all

persons 14 years old and over according to their work status during the week of March 24-30. Persons 14 years old and over will be divided, on the basis of the questions asked, into two groups: First, workers in the labor force-that is, persons who had a job, business, or profession in which they worked for payor profit, or who were seeking work; and second, persons not in the labor force. The labor force will then be divided into four groups as follows: 1. Persons at work during the week of March 24--30, 1940, in private work or non-emergency Federal, State, or local Government work-Government work other than WPA, NYA, eee, local work relief, etc., ("Yes" in col. 21). 2. Persons at work on, or assigned to, public emergency project workWPA, NYA, eee, local work relief, etc. ("Yes" in col. 22). 3. Persons who are seeking work, and are not in either of the classes above ( "Yes" in col. 23). 4. Persons who have j'obs, businesses, or professional enterprises from which they were temporarily absent during the week of Ma

Other Points of Interest

Education

Education 49. Column 13. Attended school or college any time since March 1, 1940.-Write "Yes" for any person who has attended or been enrolled in any school, college, university, or educational institution at any time since March 1, 1940, and "No" ror all others. Include attendance at night school or vocational school if' part of the regular school system, but do not indude correspondence school work of any kind. 50. Column 14. Highest grade of school completed.-;-Enter the last full grade or school or college completed by the person. Include only education obtained in public, private, or parochial schools, colleges, or universities, excluding attendance at vocational schools unless such schools were a part of the regular school system. For a person who completed his formal education in an ungraded school or in a foreign country, enter the approximate equivalent grade in the American school system, or if this cannot readily be determined, the number or years the person attended school. For symbols to be entered, see note at bottom or schedule.

Place of Birth and Citizenship

51. Column 15. Place of birth.-See the instructions in the heading or this column. Do not abbreviate the name or the country, State, Territory, or possession. All persons born in Canada ror whom French is not the mother tongue should be designated 0 anadaEngli8h, even though they speak some language other than English in their homes. 52. Column 16. Citizenship of the foreign born.-An entry is to be made in this column for all foreign-born persons and all persons born at sea, of whatever age as follows: "No/' (for naturalized) if the person has become an American citizen, either by taking out second or final naturalization papers or through the naturalization of either parent. "Pa" (for papers) if the person bas declared intention to become an American citizen and has taken out "first papers." "Al" (for alien) if the person has neither become naturalized nor taken out first papers. "Am Oit" (for American citizen born abroad) if the person born abroad or at sea was an American citizen at birth. 53. Prior to September 22, 1922, an alien woman became an American citizen when her husband was naturalized, or if she married an American citizen. Since that date she must take out papers in her own name; otherwise she remains an alien. Note that a person must be at least 18 years old to take out "first papers."

Occupation, Industry, and Class of Worker =

71. Columns 28 to 30. Occupation, Industry, and Class of Worker.-For each person for whom "Yes" was entered in questions 21, 22, 23, or 24, that is, each person who was classified as at work; as at work on, or assigned to, public emergency work; as seeking work i or as with a job; there must be entries in cols. 28 to 30 showing hIS occupation, mdustry, and class of worker. 72. These three questions are designed to show as much as possible about each worker's present job, or, if he is not working at present, as much as possible about the last job which he held.

Income in 1939

year 1939. . 92. Column 32. Amount of money wages, or salary.-Enter in col. 32 the total amount of money wages or salary, including commissions, tips, piece-rate payments, bonuses, etc., paid in cash Or by check to each person for work done as an employee (including public emergency project work) between January 1,1939, and December 31, 15 1939. Do not include earnings of businessmen, farmers, or professional persons who depend upon business profits, sales of crops, or fees for income and who do not work for wages or salaries. Do not include as money wages or salary, income received from any of the sources listed in paragraph 96. 93. Write "5,000+" for any person who received money wages or salary of more than $5,000.

Suplementary Questions

99. At the bottom of each side of the Population Schedule two lines are provided for certain supplementary information that is to be obtamed for the two persons whose names fall on two designated lines of the schedule. These lines ar.e easily identified by the heavy rules which extend into both left- and right-hand margins of the schedule

• Columns 36-37. Place of birth of father and mother
• Column 38. Mother tongue
• Column 39. Is this person a veteran of the military forces

of the United States, or a wife, widow, or under-18-year-old child of a veteran?

• Column 40. If a child is veteran·father dead?
• Column 42. Does this person have a Federal Social Security Number? (Yes or No)
• Column 43. Were deductions for Federal Old-Age In·

surance or Railroad Retirement made from this person's wages or salary in 1939? (Yes or No).

• Column 44. If so, were deductions made from (1) all, (2)

one-half or more, (3) part, but less than half of, wages or salary

• Columns 45 to 47. Usual occupation, Industry, and Class of

Worker

• Column 48. Has this woman been married more than once?
• Column 49.Enter the age of the woman at first marriage.
• Column 50. Number of children ever born

Links

• http://www.1940census.net/1940_enumeration_district_maps.php
• http://1940census.archives.gov/getting-started/
• Citation
• http://1940census.archives.gov/questions-asked/
• Blank Census

Templates

Citation Templates

Source Listing

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Citation Listing

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Document Templates

Citation Section

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Notes

Transcription

• http://crewsgenealogy.com/tng/showmedia.php?mediaID=168

People in this Source

• Ketha Stella Barth
• Ernest Bennett Titus
• Jean Ernestine Titus

Places in this Source

• Ward 2, Santa Fe, Election Precinct 29 Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States

Documents From this Source

• 

  1940 Census Including the Titus Family

• 

  1940 Federal Census including Irwin Family

• 

  Copy of 1940 Census influding the James Family

Source List

1. U.S. Department of Commerce: Bureau of the Census. Abridged Instructions to Enumerators Population. Census.org http://www.census.gov/history/pdf/1940abridged.pdf: accessed: 2013.