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History
You are here: Census.gov › History
Veterans of the American Revolution
The 1840 Census was the first to collect information about veterans, including Revolutionary War pensioner Lemuel Cook (pictured above in 1864). A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Service, 1840 [ZIP 29MB] contains data—including name, age, and place of residence—for more than 25,000 veterans enumerated in that year.
This Month in Census History
During the 1830 to 1900 Censuses, "Census Day" was June 1 or 2.
The date for the census changed several times since the first count in 1790. The first four censuses (1790 to 1820) were conducted in August, the 1910 Census was taken as of April 15, and the 1920 Census was taken January 1. Our nation's current Census Day has been April 1, since 1930.
U.S. Census Bureau History: Battle of Bunker Hill
Colonel William Prescott and 1,200 militia thwarted
two assaults before retreating from a third. The
British won the battle, but suffered such severe
casualties (50 percent killed or wounded) that
they were unable to continue their advance.
June 17 marks the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill—the American Revolution's first major battle between British and American troops. In the days prior to the 1775 battle, the Colonists learned of British plans to capture high ground overlooking Boston Harbor, including Charlestown and Dorchester. In response, Colonel William Prescott and 1,200 militiamen attempted to block the British advance by fortifying positions on Bunker and Breed's Hills. When bombardment by British naval vessels in Boston Harbor and troops positioned on nearby Copp's Hill failed to dislodge the Colonists, 3,000 British "Red Coats" prepared to take the hills by force.
While attempting to dislodge the Colonial militia, British troops were twice forced to retreat in the face of surprisingly accurate fire from the hills' defenders and nearby snipers. However, after expending most of their ammunition during the third British assault, Prescott ordered his troops to withdrawal to fortified positions in Cambridge. The British gained control of Breed's and Bunker Hills, but the victory came at a tremendous cost. Although Colonists defending the hills suffered approximately 450 casualties, the British recorded 226 dead and 828 wounded—the highest casualty count suffered by the British during any single encounter during the war. Following the "Battle of Bunker Hill," British troops in the Colonies and politicians in England recognized that the "colonial rebellion" would not be as easily squashed as they first believed.
Census data and other statistical sources can help you learn more about colonial America and the birth of the United States. For example:
- In 1770, Boston, MA, was the third largest colonial city (behind Philadelphia, PA, and New York, NY) with 15,520 inhabitants. Its population declined to about 10,000 in 1780, as families left the British occupied city during the Revolution. Ten years later, the first census of the United States found the city's population rebounded to 18,320. Following the 2010 Census, Boston was the nation's 24th largest city with a population of 617,594.
- Charlestown, MA, home to Bunker and Breed's Hills, was settled in 1628 and became the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The 1790 Census counted 1,583 people living in Charlestown. The 1870 Census, the last before Charlestown's 1874 annexation by Boston, recorded 28,323 inhabitants. According to the 2010 Census, the neighborhood is home to 16,439.
- In 1780, the population of the American colonies was 2,780,369. The largest colonies were Virginia (538,004), Pennsylvania (327,305), North Carolina (270,133), Massachusetts (268,627), and Maryland (245,474). Approximately 79 percent of the colonies' white population were English, Scottish, or Irish.
- Four future presidents signed founding documents of the United States—John Adams and Thomas Jefferson signed the Declaration of Independence and George Washington and James Madison signed the U.S. Constitution.
- The U.S. Constitution required that a census be conducted in 1790 and every 10 years thereafter to apportion Congress and to determine each state's share of Revolutionary War debt. The 1790 Census found the new nation was home to 3,929,214.
- In 1790, the combined population of the ten largest urban areas in the United States totaled approximately 150,000. These cities were New York, NY (33,131); Philadelphia, PA (28,522); Boston, MA (18,320); Charleston, SC (16,359); Baltimore, MD (13,503); Northern Liberties Township, PA (9,913); Salem, MA (7,921); Newport, RI (6,716); Providence, RI (6,380); and Marblehead, MA, and Southwark district, PA, (5,661).
- A comparison of the nation's largest urban areas in the 1790 and 2010 Censuses shows how our nation has expanded west and moved away from Colonial maritime centers. New York, NY, remains the nation's most populous with 8,175,136, followed by Los Angeles, CA (3,792,621); Chicago, IL (2,695,598); Houston, TX (2,099,451); Philadelphia, PA (1,526,006); Phoenix, AZ (1,445,632); San Antonio, TX (1,327,407); San Diego, CA (1,307,402); Dallas, TX (1,197,816); and San Jose, CA (945,942).
E. Percy Moran's painting "Battle of Bunker Hill" depicts one of the three charges British troops made
in their attempt to dislodge Colonists from their positions on Breed's and Bunker Hill.
Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Records from the 1950 to 2010 Censuses can only be obtained by the person named in the record or their heir after submitting form BC-600 or BC-600sp (Spanish).
Historic census records from 1790 to 1940 are maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration, not the U.S. Census Bureau.
http://1940census.archives.gov.
Contact your local library to inquire if it has subscribed to one of these services.
Did You Know?
On June 16, 1903, Henry Ford founded Ford Motor Company . In that year, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that 11,000 automobiles were manufactured and a total of 38,083 automobiles had been registered in the United States. Twenty years later, annual automobile production had risen to 4,086,997 (nearly half of which were manufactured by Ford) and 15,092,177 registered automobiles drove America's roads.
Today, there are more than 246 million registered automobiles in the United States. The 2012 Economic Census found that the total value of shipments from auto manufacturers was $108.8 billion. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that as of April 2015, 915,000 people were employed by motor vehicle and parts manufacturers and 1,217,600 worked for auto dealerships.
Tips for Genealogists
Interested the 1790 to 1940 census records of our Founding Fathers or learning how other notable Americans responded when the enumerator visited? Check out our Famous and Infamous Census Records page!