This work lists approximately 80,000 heads of households and is believed to embody the most complete collection of source material available for North Carolina for the 1820 period. Mrs. Potter originally published her work in 1974 as an index to the 1820 federal census for North Carolina; however, in 1993 she released this edition containing all the extant census records plus tax lists for Franklin and Wade, for which the original census enumerations are missing. The second edition also incorporates the 1820 slave enumerations. The net result is no mere index; rather, Mrs. Potter has given us a complete, alphabetically arranged census that identifies each head of household by name; the number of males and females by their age ranges; number of unnaturalized foreigners; occupational classification of household head; the quantities of male and female slaves and free persons of color in the household, arranged by age bracket; all other persons except Indians not taxed; county of residence; and the source.