CENSUS  DAY

by  Robert B. Noles

In each enabling law authorizing a census to be taken, Congress specified a 'Census Day' for gathering the census information from each household in America.  From 1790 to 1820, the census day was the first Monday in August.  The census day was not the day the enumerator arrived at the household;  It was the day for which all the statistics of the census was collected.  The actual instructions given to all the U.S. Marshals before the 1820 Census explains:

...  "all the questions refer to the day when the enumeration is to commence;  the first Monday in August next.  You're assistants will thereby understand that they are to insert in their returns all the persons belonging to the family on the first Monday in August, even those who may be deceased at the time when they take the account;  and, on the other hand, that they will not include in it, infants born after that day."

Similar instructions have been given for every census, 1790-2000, but with different census days.  The Census Day Table below identifies the census day for all of the available censuses as well as the time allowed for the enumerator to take the census.