Where were they living? I have seen column 20 checked by some census takers in 1870 for nearly every "citizen" of foreign birth. Look to see if that was the case with the people you were looking at - were there many with that column checked in that census-taker's district? I think in cases like that, either the census taker was confused about the interpretation of the question or was perhaps using it for some tally of his own purpose. For more about column 20, see http://www.ipums.umn.edu/usa/voliii/inst1870.html 1870 Census: Instructions to Assistant Marshals - see the part called Constitutional Relations. Geralyn Wood Barry in Oregon At 12:30 PM 2/19/05, JFW wrote: >Hello, Listers: >I have a question re the last item on the 1870 US Census form. The >information sought is whether there are "Male Citizens of US of 21 years of >age and upwards where rights to vote is [sic] denied on other grounds than >rebellion or other crime." I have several ancestors for whom this box is >checked, and I am not sure just what those "other grounds" would be. I >thought perhaps it had to with whether the individuals could read and/or >write; but that doesn't seem to be the case. > >Any thoughts on this?? I know some of my Galway emigrants were guilty of >"rebellion," but that was in Ireland, not the US. > >Cheers, >Jude