Census Questions from 1920

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Before the paranoia gets out of hand, here is a list of questions asked on the 1920 census. Everyone had to answer these questions. The census bureau has ben asking stuff like this for a long time.

1920 Census - Name of street, avenue road, etc.; house number or farm; number of dwelling in order of visitation; number of family in order of visitation; name of each person whose place of abode was with the family; relationship of person enumerated to the head of the family; whether home owned or rented; if owned, whether free or mortgaged; sex; color or race; age at last birthday; whether single, married, widowed, or divorced; year of immigration to United States; whether naturalized or alien; if naturalized, year of naturalization; whether attended school any time since 1 September 1919; whether able to read; whether able to write; person's place of birth; mother tongue; father's place of birth; father's mother tongue; mother's place of birth; mother's mother tongue; whether able to speak English; trade, profession, or particular kind of work done; industry, business, or establishment in which at work; whether employer, salary or wage worker, or working on own account; number of farm schedule.

-- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), March 16, 2000

Answers

Yeah, & Satan been around a long time too. Doesn't mean I have to listen to him!

-- IN (IN@dot.com), March 16, 2000.

Thanks, Jim. I was wondering how much the questions had changed; answer seems to be "not much".

What has changed appears to be the general level of trust in the government. I doubt that Census 1970 or 1980 got this sort of reaction, and I know that 1990 didn't. It would appear that the "relationship" has deteriorated significantly in the last ten years. We just don't believe that the data will be used in a confidential and beneficial manner. Too much sense that someone will get hold of it by some chicanery, or worse, that it will just be sold or even given away.

If the Lincoln bedroom is for rent and FBI files can just wander out of their controlled areas, we have little reason to think that census data won't also be misused. Shame, that.

-- DeeEmBee (macbeth1@pacbell.net), March 16, 2000.


i wasn't around in 1920- but i doubt there was a sociopath as president then. people trusted gov't then. show me one person with an I.Q. over 50 that does today.

-- kermie (kermitrbt@aol.com), March 16, 2000.

"i wasn't around in 1920- but i doubt there was a sociopath as president then..."

Actually, the country elected Warren G. Harding in 1920. As corrupt as Clinton without the lip service. Our age has no monopoly on cads. Or mistrust of government.

-- (no@more.presidents), March 16, 2000.


Warren G. Harding's administration was an afflicti0on upon the whole country. Not only the "Teapot Dome Scandal" but other serious misadventures. The American people suffered. Under the Clinton administration, say what you will, the nation has enjoyed the longest run of prosperity that many can remember. It's been the best eight years of my life and I've been around for quite a while.

-- imho (Redy@or.not), March 16, 2000.


And by the way, Jim, thousands of Japanese American citizens were "relocated" from their private property to "internment camps" during World War II by the federal government.

The feds found out where to look for them through the census.

We got the short form recently. Three people live in my household. As for the rest, they can kiss my ass.

Oh, and I occasionally work with census data doing research.

-- nothere nothere (notherethere@hotmail.com), March 16, 2000.


Yep, Harding is certainly in the running for the top five worst presidents we've ever had. I don't know where Clinton will end up un the list but I think he'll give old Warren G. a run for the money :^)

I know that some census information has been used for nefarious purposes in the past. That doesn't mean the entire reason for the census is bad. Using this logic, there are very few human activities in which we would participate.

BTW, even in the first census of 1790 they asked for more than number of persons living in the house so, at least from 200 years of history, that argument doesn't fly.

-- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), March 16, 2000.


Jim:

So true. Of course in "days of old", there weren't websites where folks could review the thoughts of those insisting on nefarious intentions. Jim Lord [one might remember his name from Y2k] has written an essay for Hyatt's Self-Reliant Living site in which he clearly presents his opinions on the census. One would think he would remember the census questions from previous years [seeing how old he is], but then again, I suppose his age could now be interfering with his memory [as it does mine], OR it could be that he didn't NOTICE in his younger days....

Jim Lord on the Census

-- Anita (notgiving@anymore.thingee), March 16, 2000.


Anita:

Thanks for the Jim Lord reference. I sometimes wonder if he has actually read the Constitution. Here's what it says about the census from Article 2, Section 1 -

"The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct."

It's quite clear that the Constitution gives congress the constitutional authority to direct exactly how the census will be conducted and what questions will be asked. I have no idea where the idea that the Constitution only allows the census to ask how many people live in your house came from. In fact, the census has included many more questions than simple enumeration since the very first census of 1790.

This is obviously not about the census. It's about a general distrust of ALL authority. I saw it when we were told that all our statements about being Y2K compliant were a lie and I see it now with the census. This is a disease that's eating away at this country and, in some cases, peoples fears are well founded. It's a sad thing to see but I don't know what can be done about it.

-- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), March 16, 2000.


Excuse me,..."everyone had to???" What am I missing here? Land of the free, home of the brave...

That which is NOT forbidden is MANDATORY.

-- Donna (moment@home.com), March 17, 2000.



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