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The
word
"census" is
derived from
the Latin
word
"censor,"
which was
the title of
the Roman
official in
charge of
civil
registration,
taxation,
public
works, and
public
morality.
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The
inhabitants
of early
Babylonia,
Egypt, and
China were
regularly
counted, or
enumerated.
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The first
census for
the United
States was
taken in
1790.
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When taking
the first
census,
workers
provided
their own
paper, and
information
was
submitted on
paper
ranging from
four inches
to three
feet.
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The first
census
counted 3.9
million
Americans,
less than
half the
population
of New York
City in
2000.
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Enumerators
write down
the
responses
that are
given to
them; they
are not
authorized
to ask for
any kind of
proof, such
as birth,
marriage, or
property
ownership
records.
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In 1920,
enumerators
(census
takers) were
paid between
one and four
cents per
person,
depending on
the urban or
rural
setting of
the district
to be
counted.
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U.S. census
results are
used to
apportion
seats in the
U.S. House
of
Representatives.
To avoid
political
manipulation,
federal law
requires the
census be
completed by
means of an
actual
headcount,
rather than
a
statistical
estimate of
the
population.
The information
in this section
was taken from
Finding
Answers in U.S.
Census Records,
Wikipedia
at <en.wikipedia.org>,
and the Colorado
Legislative
Council.
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