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In 1841, for the first time, the US Census Bureau published information about veterans in a special bound volume on the men who served in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and other American conflicts. While it had been nearly 60 years since the American Revolution had ended, the compendium (now available online) listed the surviving pensioners, including widows, of that war. It wasn’t until 50 years later, in 1890, that another census collected data on veteran status. That census identified only veterans of the Civil War and the widows of Union and Confederate ex-service members.

“Although it had been nearly 60 years since the American Revolution had ended, the compendium listed the surviving pensioners, including widows, of that war,” said Jonathan Vespa, a demographer in the U.S. Census Bureau’s Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division. “In the 18 decades that followed, the data that the Census Bureau collected about veterans continually shifted and expanded, providing a historical record of just how much the definition of military service has been redefined over centuries. Who was counted as a veteran depended on when and where a man served in the U.S. armed forces. And, yes, for most of the nation’s history, only men were considered veterans.” Continue reading →