According to the 1790 U.S. census, 3,929,214 people lived in the United States.
The 1790 census was the first national census and counted the population as of August 2, 1790. The Constitution required an enumeration for congressional apportionment, and Congress assigned the work to U.S. marshals in the judicial districts.
Marshals visited households across the original states and relevant territories, working with limited roads, scattered settlements, and slow communications. The census recorded categories such as free white males, free white females, other free persons, and enslaved people, reflecting the law and racial assumptions of the period.
The published total was later corrected in historical presentations, but 3,929,214 is the standard enumerated figure associated with the 1790 census. Virginia was the most populous state, with 747,610 residents. Vermont was counted separately in 1791 after becoming the 14th state.