1790 Fast Facts - History - U.S. Census Bureau (2024)

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POP Culture: 1790

ICONS: George Washington, 1790 Census, USS Constitution

President George Washington delivers the first "State of the Union Address" on January 8, 1790.
Benjamin Franklin dies on April 17, 1790 in Philadelphia, PA.
Washington, DC, is established as the capital of the United States, in 1791.
The U.S. Post Office Department is established on February 20, 1792.
In October 1794, federal troops put an end to the "Whiskey Rebellion," after distillers in the Appalacian region of the United States resisted paying a tax on distilled spirits.
Eli Whitney is granted a patent for the cotton gin, which cleans seed from cotton, on March 14, 1794.
The USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides") launches as part of the U.S. Navy in 1797 and sails to the Mediterranean Sea to protect American merchant vessels from Barbary pirates.
Construction begins on Fort McHenry in 1798. Sixteen years later, Francis Scott Key pens "The Star Spangled Banner" during its bombardment by British forces.
George Washington, first President of the United States, dies at Mount Vernon, VA, on December 14, 1799.

The 1790 Census		10 Largest Urban Places
U.S. Resident Population:	3,929,214	Rank	Place	Population
Population per square mile of land area:	4.5	1	New York City, NY	33,131
Percent increase of population:	n/a	2	Philadelphia, PA	28,522
Official Enumeration Date:	August 2	3	Boston town, MA	18,320
Number of States:	13	4	Charleston, SC	16,359
Cost:	$44,000	5	Baltimore town, MD	13,503
Cost per Capita (cents):	1.1	6	Northern Liberties township, PA	9,913
Total Pages in Published Reports:	56	7	Salem town, MA	7,921
Number of Enumerators:	650 (est.)	8	Newport town, RI	6,716
Number of Office Staff:		9	Providence town, RI	6,380
Census Bureau Director:	Thomas Jefferson	10	Marblehead town, MA Southwark district, PA	5,661
Number of Questions Asked:	6

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