The 1860 mortality, industrial, and agricultural censuses do include 1859 data. The only point I'm trying to make is that the statement about the census being taken in 1859 was made because the conference participants were supposed to only discuss events that happened before 1860 (Americans in 1859 didn't have the 1860 census to look at); that probably does not come through in the published transcript: On page 15 of America on the Eve of the Civil War (Edward L. Ayers and Carolin R. Martin, eds., University of Virginia Press, 2010) the reader notes that the 1860 census may have taken place a year earlier. In the opening paragraph of Chapter 1, Professor Ayers, leading the discussion, states: "It strikes me that these 1850s have been pretty interesting times. What do you think is going to leap out from the census that is being taken for the country? It will later be known as the 1860 census, but it was actually taken in 1859." I am not making any reference to the politics of census taking. -----Original Message----- From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Craig Kilby Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 11:54 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] When was the 1860 census taken? Mari, To the contrary. The mortality schedules, for example, are for the previous year (i.e. 1859). Census day was June 1st, 1860, of course. but the total population schedule includes mountains of material for the previous year. What it is not supposed to include is anyone born after 1 JUN 1860. So, in theory, it is merely a snapshot in time. I know of one case in my own family (Kilby) where the family is enumerated twice in 1860, which must make up for their total invisibility on the 1850 census. It is important to keep in mind the political aspects of the US census (which haunt us to this day.) It's all about apportionment in Congress and, today, money from the US government to localities. It doesn't take a giant leap of faith to see how figures lie, and liars figure. (An old saying, not my own pithy original.) Craig On Oct 26, 2010, at 7:49 AM, Julienne, Mari (LVA) wrote: > As I recall from the conference, nothing that happened from 1860 > forward was supposed to be discussed that day. So the statement that > the census was taken in 1859 isn't to be taken literally. That > probably should have been made clear in the published text. > > Mari Julienne ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html