By: Kāwika Kolomona Kamake'e'āina
Originally Authored and Published in 2010.
Originally Authored and Published in 2010.
Census records can hold a wealth of information and can be used as a tool/resource/guide when studying the mo`olelo (history) and mo`okūauhau (genealogy) of ones ohana (family) or for any other research purpose. These records can contain the name, age, sex and relation to the head of household among other items of interest. Finding a census record for a member or members of ones ohana can be a validating experience or it can open new doors of exploration, as the data the records contain can sometimes cause one to re-think or even change, the information they have on the individual(s) they are researching.
The idea of conducting a population count for taxation and other purposes dates back to ancient civilations throughout the world, with the first known census conducted in the year 3800 B.C.E. by the Babylonians and the earliest documented census taking place in the years 500-499 B.C.E. by the army of the Persian Empire. China has the oldest extant census data in the world from a census conducted in the year 2 C.E. and the second oldest preserved census taken in the year 140 C.E.
Censuses around the world are conducted differently and contain some sets of varying data. They have evolved in various populations over several hundreds to several thousands of years. Like other locations in the world, Hawai`i's census has evolved over time, from the first recorded population estimates taken by crew members of Captain James Cook from the years 1778 to 1779, to the most recent 2010 United States Federal Census.
Population estimates, while a form of census taking, are not the full census we know today and are exactly as the name implies, estimates. However, these records still hold valuable information and can be used to show the rise and/or decline of a population. This is especially true in the case of the Kānaka Māoli (Native Hawaiian) populations decline during the mid- to late-1800's.
Source: Robert C. Schmitt. Demographic Statistics of Hawaii: 1778-1965. (Honolulu, 1968).
Robert C. Schmitt. Historical Statistics of Hawaii. (Honolulu, 1977).
Note: To view the above chart in a larger format, simply click on the picture.
The American Protestant missionaries, who first came to the Hawaiian islands in 1820, conducted their own population estimates of the islands in the years 1823, 1824 and 1825. Subsequent censuses of the major islands through methods applied at the time in the United States, in the years 1831 to 1832 and 1835 to 1836. Geographically limited censuses were also conducted in the 1830's and 1840's. The term, geographically limited, refers to areas of interest to the groups conducting the censuses, such as major population areas like Honolulu on the island of O`ahu.
Kingdom of Hawai`i Coat of Arms
Located on the four major gates leading to the grounds of Iolani Palace, Honolulu, O`ahu, Hawai`i
These coat of arms first appeared during the reign of Queen Lili`uokalani (1838-1917)*
*Queen Lili`uokalani's name at birth was: Lydia Kamaka`eha Kaola Mali`i Lili`uokalani
King Kamehameha III (1813-1854)
Name at birth: Keaweawe`ula Kiwala`o Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa
Name lengthened after ascending the throne:
Keaweawe`ula Kiwala`o Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa Kalani Waiakua Kalanikau Iokikilo Kiwala`o i ke kapu Kamehameha
King Kamehameha III was the first Hawaiian royal to put specific guidelines and regulations into effect pertaining to the conducting of censuses in the islands of Hawai`i. By doing this, he ensured that the census, not only took account of the population of the of the Kingdom of Hawai`i for taxation purposes, but for education, housing and other aspective of life gained from the census datasets that could be used to enact various laws during his reign and those of his predecessors.
On November 9, 1840, King Kamehameha III signed a bill entitled, An Act to Regulate the Taxes, enacted in June of the previous year. This was the first official time in which the Kingdom of Hawai`i government internalized the responsibility of census taking, relegating the task to the tax officers for the various islands, who were appointed to their position by the King.
It is important to note that one month and one day prior to the enactment of the aforementioned law, on October 8, 1840, King Kamehameha III signed the bill which brought the first fully written consitution for the Kingdom of Hawai`i to bare upon the islands. Named, Ke Kumukānāwai a me nā Kānāwai o ko Hawai`i Pae `Āina, Honolulu, 1840, it established a constitutional monarchy, placing certain principles of democracy upon all subjects of the Kingdom of Hawai`i, including the King himself.
In the year 1846, King Kamehameha III signed a bill entitled, An Act to Organize the Executive Departments. This law removed the responsibility of the census from the tax officers of each island and placed it in the realm of the Department of Public Instruction. This move was important, for the tax officers who had previously held this role, solely focused on the census as a way to understand the population count for taxation purposes, but not for demographic and statistical reasons, which would hold more data that would be of great use to all levels of the Kingdom of Hawai`i government.
Once the role of census taking in Hawai`i shifted to the Department of Public Instruction, data such as the name, sex, age and other determanents, were included within the census. This provided a more in-depth look at the population of Hawai`i at the time. The Minister of Public Information, Mr. W. Richards, directed the census and was in charge of overseeing the various census takers. These individuals were primarily school inspectors and teachers. While the Kingdom of Hawai`i government held the sole responsibility of conducting the census and compiling the data it contained, they continued to receive guidance and assistance from the American Protestant and non-Protestant missionaires in the islands at the time.
However, it is important to note that these missionaries were sent to Hawai`i in 1820 by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions ("Foreign Board"). These missionaries remained active in Hawai`i from 1820 until the Foreign Board started to pull their support for the mission work being done starting in 1845. The Foreign Board officially pulled their support of missionaries in Hawai`i in 1863, however; many remained in the islands and active in both the Royal Hawaiian and the Republic of Hawai`i governments.
On May 7, 1855, the act entitled, "An Act In Regard to the Census", approved by King Kamehameha III on July 11, 1851, was repealed. During these early years of the census within the Kingdom of Hawai`i, it became apparent that a separate department, and subsequently an individual leadership role, had to be created in order to continue and improve upon the census. In 1860, direction for the conducting and application of the census, along with the compilation of the data it contained, was turned over to the General Superintendent of the Census. This role and office was part of the Department of Public Instruction and was held at various times by the Inspector General of Schools and the President of the Board of Education.
In the year 1890, the General Superintendant of the Census was the Honorable Charles B. Bishop. As was customary after each census was conducted, the General Superintendant of the Census produced a report that was provided to the Kingdom of Hawai`i government and the King of Hawai`i which outlined the general datasets.
This report also provided the name of the District Superintendants, those individuals who worked under the General Superintendant of the Census and conducted the overall census within each of their assigned districts.
The Kingdom of Hawai`i government conducted eleven official censuses in the years 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850, 1853, 1860, 1866, 1872, 1878, 1884 and 1890
Following these various censuses, the Republic of Hawai`i (1894 to 1898) government, conducted a single census in the year 1896, mid-way during the Hawaiian island's status as a Republic. Similar to the Kingdom of Hawai`i government, the Republic of Hawai`i also had a General Superintendant of the Census, Mr. H. E. Cooper, Esq. who also produced a report that was provided to the Republic of Hawai`i government which outlined general datasets.
On July 7, 1898, with the signing of the Newlands Resolution by the President of the United States, William McKinley, Jr., the Republic of Hawai`i was dissolved and the Hawaiian islands became an official Territory of the United States.
Annexation Ceremonies, Iolani Palace, Honolulu, O`ahu, Hawai`i
August 12, 1898
The territorialization of the Hawaiian islands placed the census of the lands within the jurisdiction of the United States government and the first United States Federal Census was conducted in Hawai`i in the year 1900. The census has continued to be conducted within Hawai`i, with Territorial censuses from 1900-1950 and state censuses from 1960 to the present, in accordance with the laws of the United States government, every ten years.
The 1930 U.S. Federal Census for the Territory of Hawai`i was digitized and placed online for researchers to view. The records, while complete by volume, are not the complete collection. However, they can give one great insight into the individuals who are listed on the census. To view these documents, click here.
With the first population estimates having been conducted from the years 1778 to 1779, along with ones conducted by the American Protestant missionaries in the 1820's through the 1830's, the Kingdom of Hawai`i government censuses from the 1840's to the last one in 1890, and the single census conducted under the Republic of Hawai`i government in 1896, Hawai`i saw a vast shift in not only the methods which were used to conduct the census, but also the questions that were asked, the data the records contained and most importantly, the methods that were utilized to preserve the documents.
Unfortunately, the various methods of preservation of these documents did not evolve to a level to which we would expect today, with documentation production in modern times well beyond the scope and imagination of those living in the 1800's and even the early- to mid-1900's. This is clearly evident in the historic records, with a limited number of census documents having survived from the nineteenth century. The census returns for the years 1866, 1878, 1890 and 1896, are the only known surviving records from this era, with none being as complete as they were during the years they were compiled.
These particular census records contain individual enumeration sheets for households, plantations and schools. They list all persons staying on the premises on a designated night determined by the tax officer(s). While the individual census worker (tax officer, school teacher, etc.) was given particular guidelines to follow when collecting data, travel, living arrangement, relationships, and other aspects of the culture meant that some of the data from one district to another, and even one island to another, varied. The main scope of the data contained within these documents outlines the sex, age, marital status, citizenship/nationality, race, occupation and ownership of livestock and real property of those individuals included in the census.
When researching the various censuses conducted throughout the islands of Hawai`i, it is important to know the detail of what is available for you to view within the archives of the State of Hawai`i. The following is a high-level detail of the Kingdom of Hawai`i and Republic of Hawai`i census records available for public viewing and the areas of the islands they cover:
-
Census of 1866: Lahaina district on the island of Maui and a few datasets for the Kaho`olawe and Hilo-Pauka`a areas on the island of Hawai`i.
-
Census of 1878: Lahaina district on the island of Maui, the Hamakua district on the island of Hawai`i and the Ewa, Waianae and Waialua districts on the island of O`ahu.
-
Census of 1890: Hamakua district and the areas of Hilo and North Kohala, along with a limited datasets for the areas of South Kohala, South Kona and Puna on the island of Hawai`i. Smaller datasets for the areas of Ko`olaupoko, Waialua and Waianae on the island of O`ahu, areas of Hana and Lahaina on the island of Maui and areas on the islands of Molokai, Kauai and Lanai are also available.
The Republic of Hawai`i Census of 1896 is limited to a few streets in the city of Honolulu on the island of O`ahu.
Other datasets taken from various censuses for the Kingdom of Hawai`i are also available for public viewing, they include:
-
A small sampling of tax records from the year 1840 to 1842. These particular tax records are contained within a tax officer's account book and outline the lands and people of Waialua on the island of O`ahu, which include the names of those living in the area at the time. Names of the residents in the North Hilo area on the island of Hawai`i in the year 1850, along with those living in the Honuauaula on the island of Maui in the year 1854, are available in the Poalua Books (a.k.a. Tuesday Tax) or School Tax books.
-
There are additional records pertaining to various areas of the island of O`ahu from the year 1843 which show statistical information broken down into various taxable or tax-exempt categories. Along with these records are statistical summaries and tables for the Kingdom of Hawai`i Censuses conducted in the years 1846, 1847, 1849 to 1853, 1860, 1861, 1866, 1872, 1878 and 1890.
-
Enumerator records with daily memoranda outlining the administration of the Kingdom of Hawai`i Census of 1890 and the Republic of Hawai`i Census of 1896. These records provide a sampling of corrections that needed to be made or had been made to particular census schedule sheets for the city of Honolulu on the island of O`ahu. These records outline the names of a very limited number of individuals along with the street where they resided.
-
Statistical records of births, deaths and marriages from the year 1849 to the year 1855, primarily for the Lahaina area on the island of Maui, with a table of the five major islands of Hawai`i in the year 1852.
For a full detailed list, including villages, town, cities, and streets that are covered in the various census records available, visit the following link and view the appendices on pages seven (7) through eighteen (18):
Understanding the evolution of the census in Hawai`i is important when utilizing these documents to discover ones mo`okūauhau. While the task of acquiring access to various census records can be as simple as utilizing online resources, other documents can only be viewed at the location where they are stored. This may make it difficult for some to be able to look through them in an effort to locate information that may help them on their quest. Knowing the full detail of records which are not available in an easily accessible and/or online electronic format, is important when seeking research assistance from genealogists or others who are in a position and/or location to have full access to the documents. By providing these researchers with as much information and knowledge as possible, one has a better chance of success in locating the information they seek.
It is also important to note that the U.S. Census Bureau does not have a physical office in the State of Hawai`i and only operates one during each ten year period when the U.S. Federal Census is being conducted. The State of Hawai`i falls under the Southern California region for the State of California and has representation within the Los Angeles Regional Office. Contacting the regional office for assistance is encouraged if you have more detailed questions regarding information on the census. While there are many resources available both online and in print form detailing the various aspects of the censuses conducted in the Hawaiian islands pre- and post-annexation, if one is unfamiliar with navigating the census documents themselves, it can be helpful to have assistance from the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Los Angeles Regional Office can be contacted at the following:
U.S. Census Bureau
Los Angeles Regional Office
15350 Sherman Way, Suite 400
Van Nuys, CA 91406-4224
Telephone: 818-267-1700 or 800-992-3529
Fax: 818-267-1711
TDD: 818-904-6429
E-mail: Los.Angeles.Regional.Office@census.gov
Fax: 818-267-1711
TDD: 818-904-6429
E-mail: Los.Angeles.Regional.Office@census.gov
When contacting the Los Angeles Regional Office, please make sure to ask to speak to someone within the Hawai`i division. Also, the U.S. Census Bureau operates a division called, The Partnership and Data Services Program, commonly referred to as The Partnership. This group of individuals can provide assistance to you when researching the various census records available to the public and can be contacted by telephone at 818-267-1781.