"History of Enumeration Procedures, 1790-1940 by Diana L. Magnuson NOTE: Lengthy but VERY informative. This essay presents a short history of enumeration practices from 1790 to 1940. It aims to describe those aspects related to organization, personnel, and oversight that might have affected the outcome of the census as reflected in the manuscript returns. The essay does not cover the processing of the returns, only the elements that affected the manuscripts from which the modern census samples were created. The essay is divided into four parts: personnel recruitment and quality, training and oversight, public preparedness for the census, and mechanisms for correcting the final returns." ~ Minnesota Population Center