Reply #36: About census takers...

[Momgonepostal]

My family is into geneaology, so I've looked up many a family member's census records. I'm not convinced that all census takers were as thorough as they should be and if they even really asked everything they were supposed to. I could totally see a 19th or early 20th century census taker just looking at a family member and checking off "white" if the person looked white, and then of course, assuming everyone else in the family was white, too.

African American family history research certainly sounds like a challenge! Have you ever found any useful information in the Freedman's Bank records? I remember when that was first made available, people were talking about how great it was going to be, but I've never talked to anyone who has used it.