US Census: 1790 - 1840

The first US census occurred in 1790. Since then, a census has occurred every 10 years up to the present time.

For the time period between 1790 and 1840, the contents of the census changed very little, although the number of age categories increased dramatically over time. Each census document added a few questions, but the basic data (other than the number of age categories) remained fairly static. I therefore will discuss these six census documents together.

What is particularly striking about this set of US census documents is that only the heads of families were named. All others in the household, including spouses, children, free whites and colored people, and slaves, were anonymous - just numbers on a page. The only others named are those receiving a military pension, and that occurred only in the 1840 US census. Censuses like these ones give an idea of the number of people in the country, their age and racial breakdown, and any physical or mental disabilities they might have (which clearly was what the statisticians were looking for). However, such a document does not do much for genealogists, in terms of providing vital statistics for ancestors and their families, especially if you are looking at one of these census documents in isolation.

Contents of the US Censuses

The 1790 US census asks for the name of the head of household; the number of free white males, divided into 2 age categories; the number of free white females; the number of other free persons; and the number of slaves. Naturally, the town and county are also recorded.

The actual contents of the 1790 US census were as follows:

1. Names of heads of families;
2. number of free white males under age 16, and over age 16;
3. number of free white females, including heads of families;
4. number of other free persons; and
5. number of slaves.

When Congress passed a law in 1830 requiring that all US census documents from 1790 to 1830, then held by the clerk of the district court in each area, be gathered in a central location, it was discovered that about 1/3 of the 1790 US census documents were lost or had been destroyed. Only one copy of each page had been made, so there was no back-up copy.

Some attempts have been made to reconstruct the missing pages from other documents available from this time period. Given the contents of the above file, and the fact that heads of households also were likely the ones who had to pay taxes, based on what was filed in the census, it is highly probable that the reconstruction is quite accurate.

The 1800 and 1810 US census documents appear to be identical to each other in content and form. They contain the same information as the 1790 census, although the number of age categories for both free males and free females has expanded to five.

1. Name of heads of families;
2. number of free white males, divided into 5 categories
   (under 10, 10-15, 16-25, 26-44, and 45+;)
3. number of free white females, in the same 5 categories
   (under 10, 10-15, 16-25, 26-44, and 45+;)
4. number of other free persons; and
5. number of slaves.

The 1820 US census asks much the same questions as were asked in the previous three US censuses, although it seeks yet more detail with respect to age categories of all individuals: it breaks them down by white male and female, free colored male and female, and male and female slaves, in different age categories. Again, the head of the household is the only person named. It also asks how many foreign nationals are in the household, as well as the number of individuals working in agriculture, commerce, and manufacturing.

1. names of heads of families;
2. number of free white males, in 6 age categories
   (under 10, 10-15, 16-18, 16-25, 26-44, and 45+);
3. number of free white females, in the same 6 age categories
   (under 10, 10-15, 16-18, 16-25, 26-44, and 45+);
4. number of foreigners not naturalized;
5. number of persons engaged in agriculture;
6. number of persons engaged in commerce;
7. number of persons engaged in manufacturing;
8. number of male slaves, in 4 age categories
   (under 14; 15-24,25-44, and 45+);
9. number of female slaves, in the same 4 age categories
   (under 14; 15-24,25-44, and 45+);
10. number of free colored males, in the same 4 age categories
    (under 14; 15-24,25-44, and 45+);
11. number of free colored females, in the same 4 age categories
    (under 14; 15-24,25-44, and 45+); and
12. number of all other persons, except Indians not taxed.

The 1830 US census again uses the same categories of individuals, but breaks them down into a further set of age groups: 13 categories, from age 5 to over 100, for each of white males and females, and six age categories for each of male and female slaves and male and female free coloreds. It also includes questions regarding the number of blind, deaf and dumb, in three age categories for whites, and three age categories for slaves and for free coloreds. In addition, it asks how many white aliens (foreign nationals who have not been naturalized) had been included among the individuals already counted. As you can imagine, all of those age categories led to a dizzying number of vertical and horizontal lines on the page! I pity the poor individuals in the census office who had to work with this mind-boggling array of lines, day after day, with no assistance from computers!

The following list provides the details of what was required to complete the 1830 US census:

1. names of heads of families;
2. number of free white males, in 13 age categories
   (under 5, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80-89, 90-99, and 100+);
3. number of free white females, in the same 13 age categories
   (under 5, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80-89, 90-99, and 100+);
4. number of male slaves, in 7 age categories
   (under 10; 10-23, 24-35, 36-54, 55-99, and 100+);
5. number of female slaves, in the same 7 age categories
   (under 10; 10-23, 24-35, 36-54, 55-99, and 100+);
6. number of free colored males, in the same 7 age categories
   (under 10; 10-23, 24-35, 36-54, 55-99, and 100+);
7. number of free colored females, in the same 7 age categories
   (under 10; 10-23, 24-35, 36-54, 55-99, and 100+);
8. number of persons included in the foregoing who are:
1. deaf and dumb white persons, in 3 age categories
   (under 14, 14-24, and 25+);
2. blind white persons;
3. Aliens (foreigners not naturalized);
4. deaf and dumb slaves and colored persons, in the same 3 age categories
   (under 14, 14-24, and 25+); and
5. blind slaves and colored persons.

The 1840 US census asks the same questions as in 1830, with the same age divisions. It adds questions regarding the number of persons who have military pensions, how many in the family are in various stages of schooling, and how many family members are employed in various types of industry. It also asks how many whites and colored persons are deaf and dumb, blind, or insane. The “insane” category is subdivided into “insane and idiots”, and asks for the number of each in public versus private care. (Presumably, the enumerators were given instruction in the difference between insane and idiotic!)

Here is the detail of the questions asked, in list form:

1. names of heads of families;
2. number of free white males, in 13 age categories
   (under 5, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80-89, 90-99, and 100+);
3. number of free white females, in the same 13 age categories
   (under 5, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80-89, 90-99, and 100+);
4. number of free colored males, in 7 age categories
   (under 10; 10-23, 24-35, 36-54, 55-99, and 100+);
5. number of free colored females, in the same 7 age categories
   (under 10; 10-23, 24-35, 36-54, 55-99, and 100+);
6. number of male slaves, in the same 7 age categories
   (under 10; 10-23, 24-35, 36-54, 55-99, and 100+);
7. number of female slaves, in the same 7 age categories
   (under 10; 10-23, 24-35, 36-54, 55-99, and 100+);
8. number of persons in each family employed in:
1. mining;
2. agriculture;
3. commerce;
4. manufacture and trade;
5. navigating the oceans;
6. navigation of canals, lakes, and rivers; or
7. learned professional engineers.
9. number of persons included in the foregoing who are:
1. Pensioners for revolutionary or military services
   (give name and age);
2. Deaf and dumb white persons, in 3 age categories
   (under 14, 14-24, and 25+);
3. Blind white persons;
4. Insane and idiotic white persons, at public charge;
5. Insane and idiotic white persons, at private charge;
6. Deaf and dumb colored persons, in 3 age categories
   (under 14, 14-24, and 25+);
7. Blind colored persons;
8. Insane and idiotic colored persons, at public charge;
9. Insane and idiotic colored persons, at private charge;
10. number of students in university or college;
11. number of scholars in academies and grammar schools;
12. number of scholars at public charge in primary and common schools; and
13. number of white persons over 20 years of age who cannot read and write.

States that Participated in the US Censuses from 1790 to 1840

While the contents of the censuses themselves may not have changed that much over the period from 1790 to 1840, the number of states participating increased substantially over that period. The following table shows which states participated in each of the censuses.