1790: First US Census Day

The US Census is the nation’s largest and most important set of records. They are invaluable to everyone interested in discovering their family history.

This week marks the original Census Day, which took place on the first Monday in August in 1790.

The 1790 Census was the first census conducted, numbering the then-population at  3,929,214.

Thomas Jefferson in the 1790 U.S. Census. Note occupation listed as 'Sec of State to the US' (click to zoom)

Census records provide a snapshot into the lives of our ancestors by documenting names, addresses, birthplace, members of household and more.In the first Census, data was collected from all 13 states (Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Virginia). Data was also collected from those districts and territories that would become Vermont, Kentucky, Tennessee and Maine.

The following questions were to be answered to compile data. The town or district of residence was sometimes recorded:

• Name and Head of Household (first and last name)
• Number of Free White Males aged 16 and up
• Number of Free White Males under the age of 16
• Number of Free White Females
• Number of all other Free persons
• Number of Slaves

As the first official recording of US population, the 1790 Census opens a world of information to discover about our American ancestors. Finding a person in a census record often opens the door to additional discoveries.

At MyHeritage, we have unleashed our Record Matching and Record Detective™  technologies on all US Census Records.

With Record Matches, you’ll automatically receive notifications about census records that match members in your family tree.

Our Record Detective™ technology will also help unlock clues to your family history by providing additional census entries of that same person in earlier or later years, and for the whole household.

This new information – revealed in the census – will also trigger a domino effect for additional discoveries in our online SuperSearch database with billions of historical records. For example, newspaper articles, immigration papers or marriage records about the person or their family will also be displayed.

A summary of the record can be viewed for free, and users can choose either an affordable pay-as-you-go credits or a data subscription for full, unlimited access to all historical content.

Do you have American roots you’d like to learn about? Search now and see what you discover!