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1840 United States Federal Census

Original Images

This database contains images of original records.

Sample Forms
Download blank Census forms
You can fill out the form with information on your ancestor, or just use it to better read the column headings.

Handwriting Help
View a sampling of handwriting examples
The examples should help you read the text on the original images more easily.

Please choose a county in Louisiana:

Ascension Jefferson Saint James
Assumption Lafourche Saint John the Baptist
Avoyelles Livingston Saint Landry
Caddo Madison Saint Martin
Calcasieu Natchitoches Saint Mary
Caldwell Orleans Saint Tammany
Carroll Ouachita Terrebonne
Catahoula Plaquemines Union
Claiborne Pointe Coupee Washington
Concordia Rapides West Baton Rouge
East Baton Rouge Saint Bernard West Feliciana
East Feliciana Saint Charles
Iberville Saint Helena

Census Records - Counties

After separating the census records into groups by state, the federal government subdivided these records into county groups. Searching for an ancestor on the county level provides a smaller region for research if you remain uncertain about the specific township where your ancestor resided. Researchers should also be aware of boundary line or jurisdictional changes through time. These changes may affect where an ancestor was enumerated on the census, so it remains important to search the counties surrounding the area where your ancestor lived.