1790 United States census


The 1790 United States census was the first United States census. It recorded the population of the whole United States as of Census Day, August 2, 1790, as mandated by Article 1, Section 2, of the Constitution and applicable laws. In the first census, the population of the United States was enumerated to be 3,929,214 inhabitants.
Congress assigned responsibility for the 1790 census to the marshals of United States judicial districts under an act, which with minor modifications and extensions, governed census taking through the 1840 census. "The law required that every household be visited, that completed census schedules be posted in 'two of the most public places within , there to remain for the inspection of all concerned...' and that 'the aggregate amount of each description of persons' for every district be transmitted to the president."
The census was published in 1791. It was 56 pages and cost $44,377.28.

Contemporary perception

Both Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and President George Washington expressed skepticism over the results, believing that the true population had been undercounted. If indeed an undercount was the result, possible explanations for it include dispersed population, poor transportation links, limitations of contemporary technology, and individual refusal to participate.

Questions

  1. Name of the head of family
  2. Number of free white males age 16 and over
  3. Number of free white males under age 16
  4. Number of free white females
  5. Number of all other free persons
  6. Number of slaves

    Loss and availability of data

Although the census was proved statistically factual, based on data collected, the records for several states were lost sometime between 1790 and 1830. Almost one-third of the original census data have been lost or destroyed since their original documentation. These include some 1790 data from Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Vermont; the validity and existence of most of these data, though, can be confirmed in many secondary sources pertaining to the first census.
No microdata from the 1790 population census are available, but aggregate data for small areas, together with compatible cartographic boundary files, can be downloaded from the National Historical Geographic Information System.

Data

Under the direction of the Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, marshals collected data from all thirteen states, and from the Southwest Territory. The census was not conducted in Vermont until 1791, after that state's admission to the Union as the 14th state on March 4 of that year. No enumeration at all was taken of the Northwest Territory, apparently because of logistical difficulties covering the territory, as well as the continued presence of British Army garrisons in the forts along the Great Lakes.
At 17.8 percent, the 1790 census's proportion of slaves to the free population was the highest ever recorded by any census of the United States.
Vermont22,43522,32840,505255160.0%85,5392.2%
New Hampshire36,08634,85170,1606301580.1%141,8853.6%
Maine24,38424,74846,87053800.0%96,5402.4%
Massachusetts95,45387,289190,5825,46300.0%378,7879.8%
Rhode Island16,01915,79932,6523,4079481.4%68,8251.7%
Connecticut60,52354,403117,4482,8082,7641.2%237,9466.0%
New York83,70078,122152,3204,65421,3246.3%340,1208.6%
New Jersey45,25141,41683,2872,76211,4236.2%184,1394.6%
Pennsylvania110,788106,948206,3636,5373,7370.9%434,37311.0%
Delaware11,78312,14322,3843,8998,88715.0%59,0941.5%
Maryland55,91551,339101,3958,043103,03632.2%319,7288.1%
Virginia110,936116,135215,04612,866292,62739.1%747,61018.9%
Kentucky15,15417,05728,92211412,43016.9%73,6771.9%
North Carolina69,98877,506140,7104,975100,57225.5%393,7519.9%
South Carolina35,57637,72266,8801,801107,09443.0%249,0736.3%
Georgia13,10314,04425,73939829,26435.5%82,5482.1%
Southwest Territory6,27110,27715,3653613,4179.6%35,6910.9%
Total813,365802,1271,556,62859,511697,69717.8%3,929,326100%

Urban centers

CityStatePopulationRegion Population
New YorkNew York33,131Northeast
PhiladelphiaPennsylvania28,522Northeast69,433
BostonMassachusetts18,320Northeast675,647
CharlestonSouth Carolina16,359South150,227
BaltimoreMaryland13,503South585,708
NorwalkConnecticut11,942Northeast91,184
Northern LibertiesPennsylvania9,913Northeast
RensselaerswyckNew York8,318Northeast
SalemMassachusetts7,921Northeast44,480
WatervlietNew York7,419Northeast10,375
BallstonNew York7,333Northeast11,831
StephentownNew York6,795Northeast2,791
NewportRhode Island6,716Northeast25,163
CanaanNew York6,692Northeast1,570
ProvidenceRhode Island6,380Northeast190,934
CanajoharieNew York6,156Northeast3,660
FishkillNew York5,941Northeast24,226
FrederickstownNew York5,932Northeast11,541
MarbleheadMassachusetts5,661Northeast20,441
SouthwarkPennsylvania5,661Northeast
MiddletownConnecticut5,375Northeast47,717
GloucesterMassachusetts5,317Northeast29,729
AmwellNew Jersey5,201Northeast
WashingtonNew York5,189Northeast4,522
CambridgeNew York4,996Northeast1,952
BridgewaterMassachusetts4,975Northeast28,633
NewburyportMassachusetts4,837Northeast18,289
HaverstrawNew York4,826Northeast39,087
PortsmouthNew Hampshire4,720Northeast21,956
RehobothMassachusetts4,710Northeast12,502
ShrewsburyNew Jersey4,673Northeast1,076
KinderhookNew York4,661Northeast8,330
ClintonNew York4,607Northeast4,037
LivingstonNew York4,594Northeast3,628
IpswichMassachusetts4,562Northeast13,785
HillsdaleNew York4,556Northeast1,831
SherburneMassachusetts4,555Northeast14,255
MiddleboroughMassachusetts4,526Northeast24,245
New HavenConnecticut4,484Northeast135,081
MohawkNew York4,440Northeast3,572
PawlingNew York4,330Northeast8,012
CaughnawagaNew York4,261Northeast
New CornwallNew York4,225Northeast12,884
LebanonConnecticut4,166Northeast7,142
South KingstownRhode Island4,131Northeast31,913
Oyster BayNew York4,097Northeast301,332
HartfordConnecticut4,090Northeast121,054
GlocesterRhode Island4,025Northeast9,974
FairfieldConnecticut4,009Northeast61,512
NewburyMassachusetts3,972Northeast6,716
KingstonNew York3,929Northeast24,069
BerwickMassachusetts3,894Northeast7,950
South HempsteadNew York3,828Northeast793,409
WethersfieldConnecticut3,806Northeast27,298
TauntonMassachusetts3,804Northeast59,408
Lower FreeholdNew Jersey3,785Northeast35,369
LancasterPennsylvania3,773Northeast58,039
RichmondVirginia3,761South226,610
RhinebeckNew York3,662Northeast7,548
WarwickNew York3,603Northeast32,027
HalfmoonNew York3,602Northeast25,662
BeekmanNew York3,597Northeast14,172
MontgomeryNew York3,563Northeast23,322
WoodbridgeNew Jersey3,520Northeast103,639
AlbanyNew York3,498Northeast99,224
SchenectadyNew York3,472Northeast67,047
GuilfordConnecticut3,460Northeast22,073
Upper FreeholdNew Jersey3,442Northeast7,273
SouthamptonNew York3,408Northeast69,036
CoxsackieNew York3,406Northeast8,382
PalatineNew York3,404Northeast3,240
North EastNew York3,401Northeast2,971
WallingfordConnecticut3,375Northeast44,396
New BedfordMassachusetts3,313Northeast102,882
BeverlyMassachusetts3,290Northeast42,670
ClaverackNew York3,262Northeast6,058
HuntingtonNew York3,260Northeast204,127
KitteryMassachusetts3,259Northeast10,070
StratfordConnecticut3,241Northeast52,355
SaybrookConnecticut3,233Northeast4,415
ChathamConnecticut3,230Northeast12,717
MiddletownNew Jersey3,225Northeast67,106
BrookhavenNew York3,224Northeast485,773
SoutholdNew York3,219Northeast23,732
SmithfieldRhode Island3,171Northeast22,118
WatertownConnecticut3,170Northeast22,105
New MilfordConnecticut3,167Northeast28,115
GreenwichConnecticut3,132Northeast63,518
BrookfieldMassachusetts3,100Northeast3,439
AmeniaNew York3,078Northeast3,769
SaratogaNew York3,071Northeast5,808
StillwaterNew York3,071Northeast9,022
WellsMassachusetts3,070Northeast11,314
EarlPennsylvania3,051Northeast7,149
HoosickNew York3,035Northeast6,711
DanburyConnecticut3,030Northeast86,518
CocalicoPennsylvania3,027Northeast
East HartfordConnecticut3,016Northeast51,045
PlymouthMassachusetts2,995Northeast61,217
DerbyConnecticut2,994Northeast12,325
FalmouthMassachusetts2,994Northeast12,444