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Do you realize that our census came from the Constitution of the United States of America? It was nowhere near being the very first census ever done, though. The word "census" is Latin, and it means to "tax." Archeologists have found ancient records from the Egyptians dating back as far as 3000 BC.
In the year of 1787, the United States became the first nation to make a census mandatory in its constitution. Article One, Section Two of this historic document directs that "Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states...according to their respective numbers..." It then goes on to tell how the "numbers", or "people" of the United States would be counted and when.
Therefore, the first census was started in the year of 1790. The members of Congress gave the responsibility of visiting every house and every establishment and filling out the paperwork to the federal marshals. It took a total of eighteen months, but the tally was finally in on March of the year 1792. The results were given to President Washington.
It is interesting to note that this census consisted of only six simple quesitons. Name of the head of the household,number of persons living in the household, number of free white males who are sixteen years old or older living in the household;(this question told how many young men were available to drafted into wars. It also told how many young men were available to work in the industrial process.) numberof free white males who are under the age of sixteen living in the household, and the sexes and colors of all of the other persons who were living in the household.
Every ten years thereafter our very first one, a census has been performed. In 1810, however, Congress decided that while the population needed to be counted, other information needed to be gathered also. Thus, the first census in the field of manufacturing began. Other censuses on agriculture, construction, mining, housing, local governments, commerce, transportation, and business.
Over the years, the census changed and evolved many times over. Finally, in the year of 1950, the UNIVAC,(which stood for Universal Automatic Computer), was used to tabulate the results of that year's census. It would no longer be done manually. Then, in 1960, censuses were sent ot via the United States Postal Service. The population was asked to complete the censuses nd then wait for a visit from a census official.
Nowadays, as in the 2000 census, questionaires were sent out to the population. The filled-out censuses are supposed to be returned via the mail to the government Census Bureau. There are two versions of the census, a short form and then a longer, more detailed form. If the census is not filled out and sent back by the required date, a census worker pays a visit to each and every household who failed to do so. The worker then verbally asks the head of the household the questions and fills in the appropriate answers on a printed form.
Being an important part of our Constitution, the census is a useful way for the Government to find out not only the number of the population, but also, other useful information.
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