I have friends that tell me it was started to help keep tabs on government benefits for minorities (blacks)
2006-10-04 14:41:14 · 7 answers · asked by solomon23 2 in Social Science ➔ Sociology
The answer above is absolutely correct.
in short.
the founding fathers needed to know the population of each state for the apportionment of house representatives.
P.S.
You shouldn't hang out with ignorant people.
2006-10-04 14:50:55 · answer #1 · answered by Thoughts Like Mine 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to choose better informed friends.
The U.S. Census started as a result of the debates that took place in 1787 regarding the newly proposed Constitution. Until 1790, the colonies and, later, the states were governed by the Articles of Confederation.
Article One of the Constitution specifies a bicameral government. That means that there must be two branches, The Senate and The House of Representatives. The Senate would be composed of two senators from each state. The House would consist of a number of representatives from each state(currently 435) apportioned according to population.
The first official U.S. Census took place in 1790 for the purpose of representation and taxation. Because of the threat against this new country, the government also had to know how many soldiers it could muster (hence all males 16 years of age and older were counted), and it had to know how many potential soldiers it had for the future (so all males under 16 years of age were counted separately).
Federal Marshals, assisted by 650 associate marshals, did the count by horseback, roaming the plains, hills, and valleys, asking questions like, "Who is the head of household." They also had to estimate how much land each family had because the original tax was a property tax, not an income tax.
Tell your friends that, in 1790, there were no government benefits...for anyone. And most people of African ancestry were still slaves, and counted as 3/5ths of a person. That rule came into being to appease the northern states which worried that the southern states would have more representation because of the large number of slaves on plantations.
2006-10-04 20:04:37 · answer #2 · answered by Goethe 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The census is mandated by the US Constitution:
"Representation and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers ... . The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct."
-- Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States
There is a great article with everything you might want to know about the census at the link below.
2006-10-04 14:48:44 · answer #3 · answered by DidacticRogue 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As some of the other peopple have said the census has been around since 1787. White people were counted as 1. and slaves were counted as 3/5 of a person.
2006-10-04 14:56:34 · answer #4 · answered by splotchcat45 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It got started because it was easier to calculate the population than for everyone to take off their shoes and count the number of people with their fingers and toes.
2006-10-04 14:52:15 · answer #5 · answered by retrodragonfly 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It has always been required since the ratification of the constitution
2006-10-04 14:53:03 · answer #6 · answered by mayham1983 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here are a couple sites for you.
These are the best I could locate for you.
2006-10-04 21:06:29 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋