The 1790 United States census recorded a population of 3,929,214 people.
It was the first census of the United States and measured the population as of Census Day, August 2, 1790. The Constitution required an enumeration for representation and direct taxation, and Congress assigned the work to marshals of the federal judicial districts.
Marshals and assistants visited households and posted completed schedules in public places for inspection. The process was difficult because settlements were widely dispersed, transportation was slow, and record-taking methods were limited. President George Washington and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson both suspected that the count underrepresented the actual population.
Virginia was the most populous state in the enumeration, with 747,610 people, while Delaware was the least populous, with 59,094. The published results appeared in 1791. The census established the recurring national population count that continues to shape congressional representation and federal statistics.