The Census as History and History of the Census: What Its Good For and What Its Not

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The Census as History and History of the Census
What Its Good For and What Its Not

• Margo Anderson
• University of Wisconsin -- Milwaukee

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U.S. Population, 1790-2000
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Growth of the U.S Population
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Growth in the Size of the House
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Admitting States to the Union
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The First Gerrymander, 1812
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Race and Ethnicity in the Census

• The rest of the constitutional language
• Representatives and direct Taxes shall be
  apportioned among the several States which may be
  included within this Union, according to their
  respective Numbers, which shall be determined by
  adding to the whole Number of free Persons,
  including those bound to Service for a Term of
  Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three
  fifths of all other Persons.

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Classification of Race and Ethnicity

• Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and
  Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity,
  are promulgated by the U.S. Office of Management
  and Budget (OMB)
• The new classification of race permits
  respondents to select one or more racial group.

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Race and Ethnicity, continued

• Categories for race
• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Asian
• Black or African American
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
• White
• Other (on census)

• Categories for ethnicity
• Hispanic or Latino
• Not Hispanic or Latino

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Race and Ethnicity, continued

• The Statistical Policy Directive can be tabulated
  in 63 census racial groups, that is the six main
  groups plus 57 multiple combinations.
• The 63 groups can be cross classified by Hispanic
  origin, allowing for 126 racial and ethnic
  categories.

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Demographic Results

• Race and ethnicity
• 75.1 White
• 12.3 Black or African American
• 3.6 Asian
• .9 American Indian, Alaska Native
• .1 Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

• Race and ethnicity
• 2.4 two or more races
• 5.5 some other race
• Hispanic population grew 58 during the 1990s, to
  35.3 million.

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Thomas Jefferson

• Drafted Declaration of Independence
• Was president from 1801-1808.
• Died in 1826.

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Sally Hemings ?

• Sally Hemings was a slave on Thomas Jeffersons
  plantation, Monticello.
• She was the half sister of Jeffersons wife,
  Martha Wayles Jefferson.
• Thomas Jeffersons father in law was Sally
  Hemings and Martha Wayles Jeffersons father.
• We dont know what Sally Hemings looked like.

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The State of Knowledge

• The Question Did Thomas Jefferson father
  children with Sally Hemings?
• Official Monticello Statement

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