Technology will allow first-time, instant public access to federal records that provide an extraordinary snapshot of Americans at the end of the Great Depression and on the verge of World War II. Lauded as a goldmine for researchers and the public, the 1940 Census will be released online April 2. The records document secret details of 132 million people, including 21 million who are still alive today, what their lives were like during those trying times, how long they were out of work and what America looked like in a different century.

It will provide us with a real slice of life during a momentous time in our nation’s history.” – Robert Bernstein Keep reading →