Although a knowledge of the state of the population has been deemed impor tant in most countries, few attempts had been made to ascertain this circumstance with precision, till within a very late period. In the year 1757 a general enumeration was taken in the kingdom of Sweden, which has since been continued ; but most of the other governments of Europe were satisfied with the returns of the number of houses, families, or persons paying particular taxes. It remained for the new government of the United States of America to set the example of a complete enumeration throughout a ve ry extensive territory, and apparently made with as much precision as the na ture of the subject admits. The act of Congres, for the first census, passed the first of March, 1790 ; it directed the mar shal of every district to superintend the enumeration of the state where he exer cised his functions, and authorised him to call in what aid and assistance he might judge proper. Ile was ordered to make a return within nine months to the Pre sident of the United States, distinguish ing in the return the number of free males under and above the age of sixteen years, the number of free females, and of slaves. The Indians, who might live in the dis tricts, were not to be included in the list of population. Every assistant in the enu meration was directed, before transmit ing his account to the marshal, to affix it in two or three of the most frequented places of assembly within his bounds, that it might receive any corrections which the inhabitants might suggest. In this mariner the census was completed, and the result announced a population of 3,929,326 inhabitants, including 697,697 slaves. The inhabitants of the north-west territory were not included in this num ber, but the population of that part was then so inconsiderable, that it would have made no important difference in the total number. On the twenty-eighth of Fe bruary, 1800, an act was passed for tak ing the second census, pursuant to which the returns were transmitted to the Pre sident in December, 1801. The particu lars of this enumeration, with the totals of the former, are given in the following statement : The most striking circumstance which this account exhibits, is the great increase which has taken place since the enume ration in 1791, the addition being more than a third part of the whole number of inhabitants at that period, or 1,376,312 persons. Should they continue thus to in crease one-third of their number in each succeeding ten years, they would, in about twenty-five years, equal the, population of Great Britain, as it appeared by the ac count of 1801 ; but should they only make the same addition in each succeeding ten years, as in the above period, it would re quire about forty years to attain the same degree of population.
The increase shown by the above ac count, being much greater than any other civilized nation can boast, it may be doubted, whether, having already made such considerable progress, this increase will still continue ; but the United States are so differently circumstanced from any European nation, with respect to the means of subsistence, that while they preserve peace with other powers, the vast tracts of unsettled lands which they possess, will long continue to favour the greatest natural increase of the inhabi tants, as well as attract emigrants frotn other countries.
Another peculiarity which these ac counts present, is the proportion of males and females. In Great Britain, and most
other parts of Europe, the number of fe males living has been found to exceed that of the males, although the difference is not so great as was formerly supposed; in America, however, the fact is the con trary, the number of the females being equal to that of the males only in three or four of the states, and taking the total numbers of males and females, the pro portion is ninety-six females to one hun dred males.
The population of Great Britain was long a subject of great uncertainty, both with respect to the actual number of in habitants, and their increase or diminu tion ; it became a subject of frequent con troversy among writers on the internal po licy and strength of the country, till it was at length set at rest by an act of parlia. ment, passed 31st December, 1800, which directed a general enumeration of houses, families, and persons, to be named on the' 10th March, 1801, in England and Wales, and in Scotland as soon as passible after that day. This difference was necessary, because, in the colder climate of Scotland, it was not certain that all parts of the country would he easily accessible so early in the year. An abstract of the an swers and returns made, was laid before both houses of parliament, in December following, which, though unavoidably de fective in some respects, furnishes much unexceptionable information on the sub ject.
The islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alder ney, and Sark, the Scilly Islands, and the Isle of Man, were not comprised in the enumeration ; the total population of these islands has been usually estimated at about 80,000. The number of houses in Ireland has been nearly ascertained, by the collection of a hearth money tax, from whence it has been computed, that the population of that part of the united king dom somewhat exceeds four millions of persons. Therefore, with a very moder ate allowance for those places from which no returns were received, and for mis sions in others, the total population of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland amounted to 15,100,000 persons.
At the begin sing of the preceding cen tury, Dr. Davenant published an account of the total number of houses and Wales, according to the hearth books of Lady-Day 1690; this account was pro bably as correct as the above, and a corn parison of them shows an increase from 1690 to 1801 of 261,708 houses, which, at 5i persons to a house, makes an increase of 1,465,563 persons. This appears to be the least increase that can have taken place, but it has 'certainly been greater, on account of the number of soldiers and seamen far exceeding those employed in 1690.
A circumstance, which caused consi derable disagreement in the estimates, which, previously to the enumeration, had been formed on this subject, was the want of sufficient accounts to determine the proportion of persons to a house. Dr. Davenant and Dr. Brakenridge reckoned six persons to a house ; while Mr. G. King allowed rather more than 4i in London, 4 the cities and market•tosvns, and four in the villages. Dr. Price asserted, that six persons to a house for London, and five to a house for all England, was too large an allowance ; but the fact now appears to be, that in England and Wales the proportion is 53. persons to a house, and in Scotland 52.