To protect the privacy of living persons who may appear in the
censuses, The government requires a 72-year waiting period from the year a
census is taken before it can be released. For this reason, the 1940 census will
not be made available until the year 2012.
The 1790-1930 United States
Federal Censuses have been made available. (Sad note: A fire in the U.S.
Commerce Department in Washington, D.C., on 10 January 1921 destroyed most of
the 1890 Census.)
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