The first U.S. census counted 3,929,214 people in 1790.
Congress directed the census under Article I of the Constitution, which required an enumeration of the population for representation and direct taxation. Marshals collected the information during the first census year, shortly after the new federal government began operating.
The total included 3,172,006 free people and 757,208 enslaved people. The census counted residents in the original thirteen states, plus the districts of Kentucky, Maine, and Vermont, along with the Southwest Territory. Native Americans outside the tax system were excluded from the official count.
Virginia was the most populous state, with 747,610 residents, while Delaware was the least populous state. The 1790 census set the pattern for the decennial population counts that continue to shape congressional representation and national statistics.