The 1790 census recorded a United States population of 3,929,214 people, making it the nation’s first official census.
The enumeration took place on August 2, 1790, the first Census Day. The Constitution required a population count every 10 years for congressional representation, and Congress established the procedures for carrying out the count. U.S. marshals visited households and recorded residents according to categories defined by law.
The total included 3,172,006 free people and 757,208 enslaved people. Virginia was the most populous state, with 747,610 residents, while Delaware had the smallest population among the states counted, with 59,094. The census covered 11 states plus territories and areas that later became states; North Carolina and Rhode Island were counted after the initial reporting period.
The 1790 count is often confused with later population estimates or with the number of residents eligible to vote. It counted inhabitants, not voters. The result also excluded Native Americans living outside the tax system used by the census. The next census, conducted in 1800, recorded a larger national population.