The first U.S. census recorded a population of 3,929,214 in 1790.
The census was conducted under the authority of the Census Act of 1790 and took place from August 2, 1790, with enumeration continuing in some areas. Marshals gathered population information in the 13 states, the districts of Kentucky and Maine, and the Southwest Territory. The count was used to allocate seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The reported total included 3,172,006 free people and 757,208 enslaved people. It excluded most Native Americans living outside the tax systems and political jurisdiction used by the census. The results therefore represented the population counted under the law, not every person living in the territory claimed by the United States.
The final total was slightly lower than an estimate made by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, who had expected 4 million people. Later censuses grew rapidly as the nation expanded, making the 1790 figure a useful starting point for comparing population change across America250’s 250-year span.