According to the first U.S. census, America's population in 1790 was 3,929,214.
The census counted the population as of August 2, 1790, under authority granted by Article One of the United States Constitution. Congress assigned the work to U.S. marshals, who visited households and compiled totals for the states and districts.
Virginia was the most populous state, with 747,610 people, while Delaware was the least populous, with 59,094. The total covered the states and certain territories included in the federal count, but the methods and categories differed greatly from those used by modern censuses.
George Washington and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson both suspected that the count was too low. Long distances, scattered settlements, limited transportation, and refusals to participate made enumeration difficult. The results were published in 1791 in a 56-page report.