Genealogy should be more than just filling out a family tree. It’s a way of understanding the past and the people who lived in earlier times. That gives you a deeper context for understanding your own roots.

Think about how exciting it must have been to be alive in 1900 — a new century had just begun! Could your ancestors living at the time of the 1900 census have imagined what was to come in just a few years? Consider just a few developments of the first decade of the century…

1901 — Guglielmo Marconi receives the first transatlantic wireless signals, sent from England to Newfoundland.

1903 — The Wright Brothers complete the first powered flight, ushering in a new age of travel by air.

1905 — Albert Einstein publishes a paper about his Theory of Relativity. The world of physics would never be the same.

1907 — Oklahoma becomes the country’s 46th state.

1908 — Henry Ford builds the Model T — the first affordable car. Price: $850.

During the decade, of 1900 to 1910 the population of the United States grew from about 76 million to 90 million people — an incredible 18% rise, due largely to a spike in immigration from Europe.

The price of a first class stamp was 2 cents. The average worker made $12.98 per week. Average life expectancy was about 47 years. The Sears Roebuck catalog was one of the most widely read publications, and “Sweet Adeline” was one of the most popular songs.

Radios were beginning to bring music to the home, and the hand-cranked Victrola went on the market in 1903. At that time a 78 rpm, 12” record had a playing time of just 3-1/2 minutes, which is why all popular recordings were limited to about 3 minutes. Famed opera star Enrico Caruso made his first gramophone recording in 1902.

The era of motion pictures had just begun. Perhaps some of your ancestors went to see The Great Train Robbery in 1903. This 10-minute silent film was based on an actual train robbery conducted by Butch Cassidy’s ‘Hole in the Wall’ Gang on August 29, 1900. Although crude by today’s standards, the film was a landmark in cinematic history.

Fortunately, photography was becoming widespread, so you are more likely to have family pictures from this time than from earlier eras. The Kodak Brownie was first introduced in 1900. This camera popularized photography with its simple controls and ability for people to easily take a snapshot. And it sold for $1.

So as you look through the 1900 census, keep in mind what an amazing time it must have been for your ancestors who were alive at the dawn of the 20th century.

Questions Asked in the 1900 Census

• The 1900 population schedules provide the name of each person in the household
• Address
• Relationship to the head of the household
• Color or race
• Sex
• Month and year of birth
• Age at last birthday
• Marital status; the number of years married
• The total number of children born of the mother; the number of those children living
• Places of birth of each individual and the parents of each individual
• If the individual was foreign born, the year of immigration and the number of years in the United States
• The citizenship status of foreign-born individuals over age twenty-one
• Occupation
• Whether the person could read, write, and speak English
• Whether the home was owned or rented
• Whether the home was on a farm; and whether the home was mortgaged

Research Tips for the 1900 Census
Because the Soundex index to the 1900 census is regarded as one of the most inclusive and accurate of the federally created indexes, it is recommended as a good starting point for beginning researchers. Most beginning researchers have or are able to find some knowledge of family names and residences that will serve as a starting point for searching the 1900 Soundex index. (See “Federal Population Census Indexes and Finding Aids,” below.) The 1900 census is an excellent tool for determining dates and places to search for marriage records, birth records of children, deaths of children, and the marriages of children not listed. It is also a means of verifying family traditions, identifying unknown family members, and linking what is known to other sources, such as earlier censuses, naturalization records (especially declarations of intent to become citizens), school attendance rolls, property holdings, and employment and occupational records. These records can help to trace and document ethnic origins, and identify overseas and shipboard military service.

Note that some Indian schedules are kept at the end of the schedules for the state instead of the county.

Other Significant Facts about the 1900 Census
The 1900 census is the only available census that provides columns for including the exact month and year of birth of every person enumerated. Previous censuses, and even the 1910 and 1920 censuses, include only the ages. The 1900 census is also the only census to include space to record the number of years couples were married, the number of children born to the mother, and how many were still living. This census was also the first to indicate how long an immigrant had been in the country and whether naturalized; whether a home or farm was owned or rented and whether the owned property was free of mortgage.

The information above is an excerpt from The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, edited by Loretto D. Szucs and Sandra H. Luebking, Chapter 5, “Research in Census Records,” by Loretto D. Szucs (page 116).