Skip to main content

Taken from cover story "The Way We Were".

 

The 1940 census reveals a picture of the Shoals that in some ways is similar to the Shoals of today.

Released in April after the mandatory 72-year wait, the census paints a picture of a community slowly recovering from the ravages of the Great Depression.

 

 

Question....why a mandatory 72 year wait for a census? 

Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Your post got me to wondering too. I did a few searches and this is what I come up with. It appears to be for privacy reasons. 

 

This is taken from this page: http://1940census.archives.gov/faq/

 

Why wasn't the 1940 census released before April 2, 2012?
Federal censuses are not available for public use because of a statutory 72-year restriction on access for privacy reasons. (92 Stat. 915; Public Law 95-416; October 5, 1978).

Not really. Some questions on older census forms asked if a person could read or write. Often these questions were answered by neighbors who provided incorrect information. Spelling was also a source of embarrassment, since many census takers just took a guess. My own great grandmother was named Bead, called Beadie, and listed as Biddy in one census. I've seen some names spelled as words we don't use in polite society. I imagine that if alive to read these censuses, many individuals would have demanded retractions or even sued.

Add Reply

Post

Untitled Document
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×