The 1790 United States census recorded a population of 3,929,214, providing an early snapshot of the nation’s size before America250’s founding-era milestones.
The count was taken as of Census Day, August 2, 1790, under authority granted by Article One, Section Two of the Constitution. Federal marshals, rather than a permanent census agency, visited households and compiled the returns.
The census covered the original states, along with districts and territories then governed by the United States. Virginia was the most populous state, with 747,610 people, while Delaware was the least populous, with 59,094. The figures included enslaved people but excluded most Native Americans living outside the tax system.
The published total was not treated as perfectly exact. George Washington and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson both suspected that the enumeration had missed some people. Travel difficulties, scattered settlements, limited recordkeeping, and refusal to participate likely contributed to undercounting. The next census, in 1800, established the federal count as a recurring ten-year process.