Genealogy Lesson #15: The 1870 U.S. Federal Census

Before delving into the significance of the 1870 census, here are the answers to the scavenger hunt questions from lesson #14 posted on Monday, April 13, 2020.

1. What are the first names of the other married couple in this household?

• The other married couple at the address Leonard Losee (age 64) and Lydia A. Losee (age 60)

2. How do you suppose the other married couple is related to John Sr.?

• Leonard and Lydia are John Losee Sr.’s parents

3. For how many months, if any, was John Sr. unemployed?

• 3 months. The question asks how many months the person has been unemployed in the census year, not in the last 12 months. This census was taken in June 1880 and already John Sr. has been unemployed for 3 months.

4. What was John Sr.’s occupation?

• John Sr. is an oyster planter as is his father, Leonard.

5. What is John Sr.’s wife’s name?

• Susan A. Losee

6. How was John Jr. feeling on the day this census was taken?

• John Jr., who was only 9 years-old on the day this census was taken, is listed as ill. He, along with his older brother Oliver C. (age 11) have chills and fever.

Now, the 1870 Census is of critical importance for those doing African-American family history research because it is the first one in which formerly enslaved individuals are recorded by name; meaning this may be the furthest back one can find their African-American ancestor in a U.S. Federal census record. Making the jump from the 1870 census back to the 1860 census can often prove to be challenging, if not impossible, for most African-American genealogy researchers. For a lot of African-American family lines 1870 is the brickwall. However, that is not always the case. So if you are of African-American descent, don’t resign yourself to thinking 1870 is the end of your research. It may be the end of researching that line in the census but it is not the end of your research.

Some African-American genealogy researchers may come to find that their people were actually free people of color in 1860 though, or they may be able to see how their surname was derived from a white slave owner and pinpoint the owner in the 1860 census. This is presented in many genealogy reality shows such as Finding Your Roots.

However, there are also other significant records that may extend one’s African-American research, such as the U.S., Freedman's Bank Records, which I will post about in the future.

For now, try your hand at finding my Losee line in the 1870 census.

To facilitate your search recall that my great-great grandfather, John M. Losee Jr. was born March 1870 in Freeport, NY and died 24 May 1940 in Freeport, NY. His father, John Losee was born on 17 August 1841 in Freeport, NY and died on 10 February 1918 in Freeport, NY.

After you find the census record answer the following questions:

1. Being that John Jr. was born in 1870, he may not appear in the 1870 census. Although maybe he does. Can you find him? 
2. If you can find John Jr., how old is he on the record?
3. What are the names of John Sr.’s children?
4. John Sr.’s has a sister living in the household. What is her name?

Answers to these questions will appear in the next lesson as long as a bit of info on the 1860 census.