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Title: Perspectives on Historical U.S. Census Undercounts

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 1995

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Abstract: There are three sources of information about undercounts in nineteenthcentury U.S. censuses: demographic analyses of net undercounts by age, sex, and race at the national level; record-linkage studies of gross undercounts for local communities; and contemporary testimony of the types and bases of underenumeration. This article reviews the strengths and limitations of each of these sources, assesses the extent of their agreement, and discusses the bases of their disagreement. Our main conclusions, in brief, are as follows. Each of the three sources offers valuable, albeit different, insights into historical undercounts. Demographic analyses are the best guide to the overall level of the undercount; community-centered linkage studies provide additional information (beyond age, sex, and race) about the persons the enumerators missed; and contemporary testimony both confirms the general conclusions from linkage studies and suggests why some social groups were disproportionatelyundercounted.

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Authors: Magnuson, Diana L.; King, Miriam L.

Periodical (Full): Social Science History

Issue: 4

Volume: 19

Pages: 455-466

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Methodology and Data Collection

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