| Introduction | p. 1 |
| Part 1 | Introduction to the Census | p. 4 |
| 1 | Census Content | p. 5 |
| How the 1790-1930 Censuses Help Genealogists | |
| Extra Information in the Census | |
| 2 | History of the U.S. Federal Census | p. 22 |
| Counting the Population: Who to Count and How to Count | |
| History of Privacy | |
| Availability of the Census | |
| 3 | Population Schedules | p. 30 |
| Census Highlights | |
| Census Facts, 1790-1930 | |
| Census Illustrations, 1790 Through 1920 | |
| Availability of Federal Census Schedules for 1940 Through 2000 | |
| 4 | Non-Population Schedules | p. 66 |
| Agriculture Schedules | |
| Defective, Dependent, Delinquent Classes | |
| Products of Industry and Manufacturer Schedules | |
| Mortality Schedules | |
| Social Statistics Schedules | |
| Veterans Schedule | |
| 5 | Census Media: Handwritten to Electronic | p. 108 |
| True Originals or Copies? | |
| Missing or Lost Schedules | |
| Storage of Original Schedules | |
| Microfilming and Distribution of Originals | |
| Destruction of Schedules for 1900 Through 1940 | |
| Summary of Disposition of Census Records | |
| Second Microfilming | |
| Digitized Census Records | |
| Deciding Which Medium to Use | |
| Part 2 | Finding Census Records and Indexes | p. 120 |
| 6 | Where to Find Federal Census Records | p. 121 |
| Interlibrary Loan | |
| Rental or Purchase of Microfilm | |
| CD-ROM Images and Indexes | |
| Digital Census Images on the Internet | |
| Census Transcriptions on the Internet | |
| Census Reference Books and CD-ROMs for Sale | |
| 7 | Census Finding Aids and Indexes | p. 130 |
| Finding Census Records and Indexes Step by Step | |
| Indexes Are Rarely Identical | |
| Soundex and Miracode | |
| Soundex Specifics by Census Year | |
| Using the Soundex | |
| Enumeration District Descriptions and Maps | |
| Finding Addresses | |
| Case Study: Comparing Soundex Cards With Full Census Schedules | |
| Rules for Using Census Indexes | |
| Part 3 | Using the Census | p. 157 |
| 8 | Get Organized | p. 158 |
| Do Your Homework | |
| Track Your Research | |
| Case Study: Census Summary and Analysis Chart | |
| Cite Census Records | |
| Ready to Begin | |
| 9 | Research Strategies | p. 167 |
| Beginning the Research | |
| Index Strategies | |
| Help With Handwriting | |
| Spelling Test | |
| Research Strategies in Action | |
| Case Study: Not Found in 1870 Printed Index Reading the Census Line by Line | |
| Case Study: Not Found in 1920 Soundex Reading the Census Line by Line | |
| Case Study: Find "Missing Family" on Missing Page | |
| Case Study: Plot the Census Taker's Route | |
| Case Study: Track the Census Enumerator in the City | |
| Case Study: Use Immigration Data to Locate Passenger List | |
| Case Study: Use Immigration Data to Locate Naturalization Record | |
| Case Study: Compare and Analyze Pre-1850 Census Statistics | |
| Case Study: Correlate Census and Mortality Schedule | |
| Case Study: Correlate Census and DDD Prisoner Schedule | |
| Case Study: Correlate Polygamy Court Record With Census | |
| Case Study: Identify Family in Photograph Using Census Research | |
| Case Study: Research an Enumerator | |
| Summary of Census Research Strategies | |
| 10 | Research Special Populations | p. 194 |
| American Indians (Native Americans) | |
| Slaves, Blacks, and Colored Persons | |
| Catholic Sisters (Nuns) and Brothers (Monks) | |
| Military and Naval Population | |
| Veteran Status Reported in the Census | |
| Active-Duty Military and Naval; | |
| Case Study: Sailor Counted Twice in 1900 | |
| Case Study: Band Leader Enumerated in Germany and Minnesota in 1920 | |
| 11 | Census Anomalies | p. 211 |
| Exact Place of Birth | |
| Enumerator Comments: Posting Census Book in Private Home | |
| Unable to Personally Visit Family | |
| Apology for Inability to Report German Navitity | |
| Apology for Wet Census Pages | |
| Plea for Military Pension | |
| Gruesome Deaths | |
| 1860 Occupation of "Wife" | |
| Twenty Children, Over Four Hundred Descendants | |
| Large Five-Year-Old Child | |
| Small Fourteen-Year-Old Child | |
| Recent Arrivals Looking for Work | |
| Detailed and Humorous Occupation Descriptions | |
| "Sins With Marlin" | |
| Prostitutes on the Frontier | |
| Indians on the Frontier | |
| Reasons for Incarceration: Massachusetts | |
| Reasons for Incarceration: Iowa | |
| North Dakota Artist | |
| Duplicate Entries | |
| Case Study: Same City, Different Addresses and Dates | |
| Case Study: Same Address, Different Dates | |
| Case Study: Same Family, Adults' First and Middle Names Reversed | |
| Case Study: Same Person in Two Different Households | |
| Case Study: Same Family in Two Different States | |
| Case Study: Neighborhood Double-Counted | |
| Three Swedish Families Without Names | |
| Court Case Against Enumerator | |
| Male Reported as Female | |
| Born "on the Plains" | |
| 1880 Seminole Indian Village Includes Adopted Black Female | |
| Unorganized Census Pages | |
| Slaves Listed in Free Schedule in 1850 for Collin County, Texas | |
| Incomplete, Confusing, and Peculiar Census Entries in 1810 for Columbus County, North Carolina | |
| 1820 Census Marshal Added Identifiers | |
| Discovering More Census Anomalies | |
| 12 | Other Census Records | p. 231 |
| Pre-1790 Censuses | |
| Gold Miners | |
| Military Censuses | |
| School Censuses | |
| The Census Counts--No Matter What | |
| Appendix A | National Archives and Its Regional Facilities | p. 237 |
| Appendix B | Census Maps and Questions | p. 240 |
| Appendix C | Abbreviations | p. 256 |
| Appendix D | The Census on the Internet | p. 259 |
| Appendix E | Bibliography | p. 263 |
| Index | p. 271 |
