The first U.S. census recorded a total population of 3,929,214 people in 1790. It was conducted under the new Constitution and provided the population figures used to apportion seats in the House of Representatives.
The census counted free people and enslaved people separately, reflecting the laws and social structure of the early United States. It also excluded many Native Americans living outside the tax and jurisdiction systems used by the census authorities.
The enumeration was directed by marshals of the federal judicial districts. Virginia was the most populous state in the count, followed by Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The total is sometimes confused with later estimates because the 1790 census did not use modern population definitions or coverage methods.