Census Day is April 1 2020. The US Census is mandated by the Constitution to be taken every ten years and the data that results drives federal funding for local schools, roads, hospitals, fire departments and others. The resulting data is also used to determine seats in the US House of Representatives and helps determine those district borders.
And that’s all important stuff, yes…BUT census records are one of the most valuable tools for family history research! Individual census records don’t become available until 72 years later (for 2020, that would be 2092 and I’ll be forced to miss that one……). The most recent census available is from 1940 and we are lucky enough to have it available free from Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. Anyone can look at them anytime…like under the current circumstances of our at-home time. Here’s an example from Gloucester that highlights some familiar family names…see Ciaramitaro and Orlando? These provide a glimpse into life just prior to our entry into World War II.
It’s very easy to do your part and submit your 2020 Census report. You should receive an “invitation” by mail. You can respond by mail, phone or online. It’s required by law and you might have a little extra time on your hands anyhow. I filled ours out online in just about 10 minutes. Your descendants will be very thankful! Here is a link to some common questions.
Good Morning Gloucester 